What do you get when you mix...

...one part toddler, one part pregnant-and-so-sick-she-took-her-first-sick-day-in-five-years mom, plus one part Santa Claus?

A clinging, shrieking mess!  But definitely one for the memory book...

We're still here! (Plus 1!)

So I am at least 2 months behind on posting all the fun things that have been going on in the Cooper house.  I hope that I will be forgiven, considering that I've been nauseous and completely exhausted.  I'm pretty sure you all know already, but for the one person who I might have missed - we're expecting!  MiniCooper 2.0 is expected to arrive in June, and Toby and I couldn't be happier.

Photos to follow - I can't seem to get them to work right now.

Anyway, I still need to post pictures from Nana and Grumps' visit (including some very cute photos we had taken by some great photographers), Halloween, and our Thanksgiving fun with the Thornton Triplets.  We have been extra busy, and on the days we aren't busy, I've been falling asleep at 7:30 (no joke, ask Toby). I'm finally starting to feel better, though last night I fell asleep at 8, so I may have a few more weeks before I feel back to my old self.  Regardless, I'm determined to post a sampling of the fall photos in the coming week or so.  We have a calendar getting packed full of fun Christmas events, so I need to catch up before then!

Also, Toby has had to do far more than his fair share of chasing a very active toddler lately, so send some good thoughts his way. 

Congratulations Autumn and Dave!

Samuel Graham (Sam) and Tyson Witt (Ty) Boyd arrived on Monday afternoon!  At 5.1 and 6 pounds, their poor mama had been carrying around over 11 pounds of baby!  Great job, Autumn!

Summer at the zoo

I'm not generally a big fan of zoos, but I swear that we have been to the Nashville zoo at least 2-3 times a month since March.  Tip -- membership is dirt cheap if your kid is under 2.  Annie loooves the zoo, and we love any place where we can arrive at 9:00 am (even on Sundays - woo hoo!) and get her good and tired before naptime!

We've had a recent breakthrough - instead of sitting on the little bench, she's started riding the giraffe on the merry-go-round!  Of course, now that she will ride the giraffe, she is obsessed with it.  (The parenting books would say she is "focused.")  Unfortunately you can't get to the elephant and giraffe exhibits without going past the merry-go-round, so she whines, points, says "music" and demonstrates her dancing skills the whole time we're looking at the elephants. 

She also loves he petting zoo area, where very patient goats allow small children (and adults) to brush them. Annie often feels the need to have two brushes.  She would probably take the whole bucket if she could carry them.

The zoo also has an amazing and huge playground that we have generally been able to avoid thus far.  Annie's still too little to run around on such a massive playground without us, but I am sure by next summer she'll be off and running.  Not that we'll be waiting for next summer.  I'm sure we'll still be there twice a month all winter long, come snow or sleet!

Toby becomes an English-American!

That's right, Toby is officially now a dual citizen!  After months (or maybe years) of waiting, interviews, tests, and background checks, the ceremony itself was short and sweet - maybe 20-25 minutes.  It was very nice, not overly sentimental (which was good, because otherwise I would have bawled).  Annie did her very best to behave, though she kept wanting to to go sit with Daddy.  Two of Toby's bosses joined my parents, Annie and myself to cheer Toby on...or, more accurately, sit quietly in the courtroom and try to get some pictures.  

Here is Toby before the ceremony - he looked sharp!  It was interesting to see what some other folks consider appropriate attire for a courtroom. 

Here just after the ceremony.  Toby was sweating from the nerves and I was sweating from wrestling an 18 month old for 45 minutes. :) 

And with the Judge...in a happy coincidence, I worked for this judge for a semester during law school.  I didn't see him much when I worked for him, but he pretended to remember me.

Friday night I threw a big surprise citizenship party for Toby at Dan McGuinness Pub. About 35 of his friends and colleagues joined us, and we all had a great time.  It was also extra special since it was the eve of the 5th anniversary of our first date - at Dan McGuinness!  We couldn't have begun to imagine then where we would be today! 

People have been asking me why Toby decided to become a US Citizen, since England is such a wonderful place.  I usually tell them I'm not completely sure about the details, but I know that he did it for our family, and that means the world to me. 
  

18 months and major victory!

Annie's 18 month checkup was today and I am proud to report a major victory!  For the first time in the last 10 months, we went to the doctor and Annie did not lose her mind!

That is right, after several visits that left us nearly mentally and emotionally wrecked, we may have turned a corner.  Or maybe this was a one time thing, but I will take it either way!

Stats: 
Height - 33 inches (75th-90th percentile) = tall, hooray!!!!
Weight - 25 lbs, 3oz (50-75th percentile) = proportionate, hooray!!!
Head circumference - 19 inches (90th percentile) = less than 95th, which was her last measurement - hooray!!
Cuteness factor, even with huge cheesy grin - off the charts, hooray!!!

Yes, I know she looks like she needs a haircut, but I really want her hair to grow out, so for now she just looks shaggy.

She is starting to look very similar to how I looked at her age, which means she has likely inherited the Broach figure (sorry, sweetie, it will always be hard to find jeans that fit and boots that will zip up the calf; but you can probably leg press 200 pounds by age 5).

This girl loooves her Daddy.  Who wouldn't?

Mommy's not too bad either...

Less than a month until the next British Invasion - we can't wait to see Nana and Grumps soon!

If you're happy and you know it!

I love getting these pictures from Annie's teacher.  It makes me happy knowing that Annie is a happy little munchkin at school!  I also think that it is cute that the teacher is using handkerchiefs to jazz up the outfits that she changes the kids into each day. Maybe she heard my comment about the "baby inmate attire" - see below if you haven't seen it already on facebook.

The teacher changes them into the little boy t-shirts and little boy boxer briefs most days because, as she says, the kids are "little scientists" who need to be able to get really dirty.  I think it is brilliant.  Even if Annie's arms, legs, neck and head are covered in sand, paint, marker, stickers, gardening soil and dirt, her clothes are clean.