Oh, Happy Day!

Even though Chris completed his coursework back in December, and we received his diploma in the mail several months ago, I still made Chris walk during the commencement exercise last week. He thought it was terribly boring, but I think it was all worth it!

One Whole Year

Even though it wasn't intentional, I took a year-long break from the blogging world. To say that the last year was chaotic would be a HUGE understatement. However, we are happy, healthy, and most importantly, the boy is still the cutest thing in the world. Here are some of the major happenings from this past year:

-Chris accepted an internship with the ICS department of the Church in April
-We moved back to Utah County in May
-We went to DC, Maryland, and Virginia in July to visit Chris's family
-We moved again in August
-Cooper learned to sit up, scoot, and army crawl
-We went to Yellowstone with the Christiansen clan in October
-Chris graduated with his Master's in Management Information Systems from Utah State
-Cooper turned 1 on December 22
-We moved, yet again
-Chris accepted a full-time position as a Project Manager in the Church's ICS department
-Cooper learned to walk

And for your viewing pleasure, here are some recent photos taken of the boy while he slept in some precarious positions.

Ring Around the Blankie

The other day, I watched as Cooper rotated in a circle around his blanket as he wiggled. The circle was complete within 15 minutes. Here is proof:

New Faces of Cooper

Cooper has learned how to suck on his bottom lip.

He has also learned how to blow bubbles.

Both faces have dramatically increased his drool production :)

Baby Blues

Aren't these the most beautiful blue eyes you've ever seen?!

Easter Weekend

Mac. Karlie. Brooks. Briggs. Chris. Me. Cooper. Mom. Dad

Every Easter Weekend, my Grandma & Grandpa Christiansen host a wienie roast. We built a bonfire in an empty lot on my grandparents' property and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Even though it was a little chilly, it was still a lot of fun.

The Easter Bunny loves Cooper!

Don't let this picture fool you! He may look sweet and innocent, but the little man was actually quite a pistol Easter Sunday. He cried during the whole first session of General Conference, slept during the break (of course!), and then peed through his clothes during the second session. Needless to say, I didn't get to enjoy conference as I had hoped.

All in all, it was a great weekend and we were able to spend time with the Christiansens, the Helmantolers, and the Carters.

Blessing Day

Cooper was blessed on March 7, 2010. We had so many friends and family join us for the special occasion. And to top it off, the little man looked absolutely dashing!

First Haircut

We gave Cooper his first haircut on Monday. Even though I was a little hesitant, I knew it was time when my little man had more curls than most little girls at his age.

This is how Cooper felt about getting a haircut :)

Before

Please ignore my lack of make-up. I had just gotten out of the shower.

Don't worry...she's a licensed professional.

Such a good client.

The damage.

Crazy Eights

Cooper turned 8 weeks old today, so I thought I would share a few things about him.

Eight Nicknames for Cooper:
1. Cooper Dooper, The Pooper
2. Coop-A-Loop
3. Mr. Cooper
4. Mr. Man
5. Little Mr. Man
6. Squeakers
7. Handsome
8. Bebe

Eight Things to Know About Cooper:
1. His hair is everyone's favorite feature
2. He grunts ALL the time
3. He loves to be held
4. He loves having his hair washed, but hates having his hair combed
5. His hair is out of control most days
6. He has discovered his fingers and likes to suck on them
7. He once went through 3 outfits in less than 3 hours
8. When he spits up, it comes out his nose

Eight Things I have Learned About Being a Mom
1. It's the hardest thing I've ever done
2. I didn't understand the meaning of exhausted until I had a baby
3. I've been peed on, pooped on, and spit up on and it doesn't bother me
4. Breastfeeding isn't for the weak and it takes practice and diligence
5. Watching my husband become a father has been an incredibly tender experience
6. Being responsible for the well-being of a helpless baby is terrifying, yet somehow empowering
7. Seeing my baby for the first time was a very spiritual experience
8. One toothless smile from the little man makes all the sleepless nights worth it

Happy Valentine's Day

Coop's First Photo Shoot

Thanks to my talented sister-in-law, Kimberly, who owns Tilt Photography, we were able to get some fabulous photos of Cooper when he was two weeks old. Thank you, Kimberly!

Cooper Michael Helmantoler

Cooper joined our family on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 12:23 a.m. He weighed 7lb 12oz and was 19in long. Quite frankly, he came sooner than expected--a week early, to be exact! The doctor told us on December 18th that we shouldn't plan on receiving a tax deduction in 2009; so we figured the little man wasn't coming until after the new year.

I woke up Monday, December 21st, and knew something was different. I hadn't slept well the night before, and was having pains that I hadn't had before. As I left for work that morning, I warned Chris that the baby could possibly be on his way.

I went to work for my last day and stayed until 1:00 p.m. By 4:00, I was having pretty intense contractions. Even though they were quite regular, they were only about 10 minutes apart. I called the hospital and they told me they would admit me once my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart. By 5:00, we were on our way to the hospital.

I was admitted by 5:30 and had my epidural within an hour. At 8:00, the doctor broke my water and two hours later, I was fully dilated and ready to push. I started pushing around 10:30, and the little man was born about two hours later.

Chris and I are in love with this little man! We think he is absolutely precious and we love being his parents!

Quick Survey

I'm going to pack my hospital and diaper bags this weekend so that they're ready whenever we need them. As I was thinking about what I needed to pack, I realized I didn't really know. Therefore, I would like some suggestions.

What things do you pack in your hospital/diaper bag(s)?
What things are provided by the hospital that I don't need to worry about?
What things can you not live without?
What things do you wish you would've packed, but didn't?

I'm very interested to hear your responses. Thanks in advance for the advice!

Less Than

In case anyone is wondering, there are:

less than 10 days until the New Moon premiere

less than 20 days until Thanksgiving

less than 30 working days for me at LDS Philanthropies

less than 40 days until Chris is done with this semester

less than 50 days until Christmas

and...

less than 60 days until the little man joins our family!

I can hardly wait!

Not Ready for Winter

Chris took this picture of campus the other day. He said it was a white-out on his way to school, and it continued to snow all day.

I'm not so sure I'm ready for a harsh Logan winter. Luckily, I'll have a sweet little baby to take care of, which means I can just hibernate in our apartment and wait for the snow to melt.

H1N1 is a BEAST!

Many of you know that Chris came down with the H1N1 flu a couple weeks ago. The poor guy was out of commission for two whole weeks. He suffered through a high fever, cough, body aches, nausea, vomitting, and dehydration. Then, he contracted an ear infection, which lead to vertigo--and that was only during the first week.

For the sake of my health and that of our unborn child, we were not able to be together. Chris had to quarantine himself in Logan, and I wasn't allowed to visit him. I was also prescribed Tamiflu by my OB/GYN because I had been exposed to the virus, and I received the H1N1 vaccine. Even though Chris tried his very best to care for himself, things went from bad to worse rather quickly.

While attending a university conference with our department, I received a text from Chris that simply stated, "911." I panicked because I knew that he was in trouble. I excused myself and called him, only to find out that he had collapsed in our apartment. Because we don't know very many people in Logan at this point, I wasn't left with much of a choice, other than to call the paramedics. I'm sure you can only imagine the emotions I experienced, considering I was two hours away, I was seven months pregnant, and I was completely helpless. I cried talking to my mom, I cried talking to his mom, and I cried talking to the 911 dispatcher. Needless to say, I was a mess.

Chris was taken to the ER and administered an IV to combat the dehydration. It was then that he was diagnosed with the ear infection and vertigo (which was the cause of his collapse), and given medication to treat both. Thankfully, Chris' parents were kind enough to drive to Logan and spend the weekend with him. They were able take him home, sanitize and disinfect our apartment, and make sure he received plenty of food and water. I will forever be grateful to them for their sacrifice on our behalf.

Fast forward two weeks, and Chris is doing much better. He was finally able to come home last weekend, and we were able to spend some much needed time together. Although the doctor gave him a clean bill of health last Friday, he is still suffering from the after-effects of the ear infection and is still quite tired. Given time, he'll back to normal.

So, there you have it...H1N1 is a BEAST!

Baby Crib

I went to Logan a few weekends ago so that Chris and I could take care of some things in the baby's nursery. I'm happy to say that the crib has been assembled and the bedding has been washed. All we need now is the little man!

28 Weeks

26 Weeks

24 Weeks