9 MONTHS OLD!

Well here we are... 9 months and growing SO quickly!  We have been busy this month with a lot of Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities.  It has gone by fast and here we are just days away from Cooper's first Christmas!  We had Cooper's 9 month check up last week and found out that we have one healthy little boy on our hands!  He had to have his finger pricked to check his iron and he barely flinched!  I was so surprised.  The shots hurt him just a little bit more, but the crying did not last long at all.

weight: 21.10 pounds (66th percentile)

height: 29.75 inches (72nd percentile)

head circumference: 48 centimeters  (97th percentile)

Cooper has now gotten to the point where I can put him down and he'll play with something for a little while at a time.  He still likes to be held quite a bit, but will play with the jungle/ball toy for quite a while trying to just "figure it all out".  Every night at bath time his mission is the same: Get Harvey the Hippo.  He will try the entire time to grab him and its always the same toy.  Can we say FOCUSED??  I think we all know who he gets this trait from!  

Just recently Cooper has started rolling quite a bit.  He is right on the verge of MOVING!  He rolled over and over continuously about 5 times yesterday just to move to grab some toys.  This is a first!  He hasn't done it a lot, but he is fully capable of moving.  He is also realizing that he wants to get closer to his toys or get somewhere else in the room.  He'll start scooting forward on his hands while still sitting.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for two mobile ones yet... but it is exciting that he is trying! 

We have mastered eating just about all foods and I am not worried about really giving him anything.  Caroline has started to take an interest in feeding him and will scoot a chair up to his highchair and "help".  She'll say "I think Cooper needs his puffs."  Then she will pour them on his tray and I'll catch her eating them faster than he can even grab.  She sure has her motives, but always takes pride in being a great Big Sister!

 We can't wait to head to Colorado and enjoy Christmas with a little snow!  So far the roads between here and there are quite snowy and we are hoping for a safe drive.  Please pray for safe travels!!

Ho Ho Ho!

Wow!  Santa Claus made an extra special visit to Daddy's office for all of the Munsch Hardt kids!!  Caroline and Cooper had a great time!  They even got special signed copies of The Night Before Christmas book.  It was a fun afternoon with Santa, cookies and hanging out at Daddy's office!

All I want for Christmas is...

 Well Cooper already has his two front teeth, so I'm not quite sure what he asked Santa for, but he sure did well!!  He didn't mind sitting on this strange man's lap and really just took it all in.  Caroline and Cooper sat fairly still while I was able to snap several pictures!  We just can not wait for Christmas to come and are getting ready!  It will be here soon!

First Thanksgiving

 Not only was this Cooper's first Thanksgiving, but it was also his first trip to Newton!  Josh's grandmother, Nanny, lives there along with some of his cousins and every year Nanny does a great job hosting everyone.  We had such a wonderful time visiting with everyone and introducing them to our new little man.

 Everyone pitched in and was hard at work!

Cousin Brett was so excited to play with Caroline and Cooper that he guarded the stairs while they were taking a nap.  He made sure he heard them if they happened to get up.  :)

 Nanny made sure Cooper tasted everything and Cooper did not complain!  He ate turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls and anything else anyone put on his plate.  Oh and he even had some banana pudding!

 The annual football game was held outside.  The weather was so beautiful and Nanny's yard was the perfect  place for it!  The big trees and open space was so refreshing to see.

 I tried to get some cute pictures of Cooper outside {minus his sweater} but he was too focused on the football game.  

 Aunt Rosemary took the kids for rides on the golf cart.  Everything was fine and dandy while they were going slow.  However, I didn't crop this picture to explain what really happened!  With a full cart, everyone was having fun when Caroline got excited and walked across the front.  Well she actually stepped on the gas pedal and everyone watched, in what seemed like slow motion, while the golf cart drove directly into the wagon pictured in the background below.  The cart crashed and everyone was startled just a bit.  It could have been a lot worse, but everyone was okay.  Thank goodness!

 Brett was such a great cousin and loved playing with Cooper!

Cousin Collin's Wedding

Several weekends ago we ventured to Austin and then to Kerrville for Josh's cousin Collin's wedding.  We were able to stay with his dad for a night and all went to the wedding together.  It was quite the whirlwind of a weekend, but so fun to see everyone and get to introduce them to Cooper.  We were a little leery on how they would do at a 2 o'clock wedding after a 2 hour drive and no nap.  But both kids did pretty well.  Unfortunately Josh had to sit with Cooper outside of the sanctuary for most of the service.  He just felt like talking more than watching.  :)

Caroline and Cooper found ways to entertain themselves before the wedding started.

Aunt Joanna was a big help and was definitely good with all of her Auntly duties!  She had her hands full!

Caroline found a friend!  Josh's other cousin, Brian's youngest daughter was 7.  She was the flower girl and played so well with Caroline.  Caroline just can't get enough of bigger kids!

Aunt Mary met Cooper for the first time!  She was a beautiful mother of the groom!

So typical!

Cousins!

Our attempt at a family picture.

All Caroline wanted to do was KISS!

And she got one!  However we didn't get a picture with everyone looking...  And I'm not really surprised!  :)

Of course Caroline's all time favorite reason for visiting Austin... Rocky and Bella of course!  I'm sure they were relieved to see us go.

Congratulations Collin and Michelle!  We had a wonderful time and wish you the best!

Can it be...?

 EIGHT MONTHS!!!


I don't even know where to begin and certainly can not tell you where the last eight months have gone!  2011 has definitely {by FAR} been the fastest year of my life and time just continues to tick on by. However, I wouldn't change anything for the world!  In what, at times, seems like the most difficult and trying part of our lives, my heart has grown and I could not love this little man anymore than I do now!!  Cooper has grown into such a sweet and happy boy who really lights up our world!  His smile is so sly and all knowing that it has us laughing quite a bit.  It's as if he knows so much more than we do and is basically just saying "really guys?".  

The night of November 17th was quite a rough one!  Cooper was up most of the night and just did not sleep.  He cried from 4am-6am and then Caroline woke up at 6:30.  Of course things always seem to happen this way, but I was just not thrilled to say the least.  Little did I know at the time, but 2 teeth popped through and Cooper is now sporting the very teeny tips of both of his bottom teeth!!  YAY Cooper!   I hope we don't go through this every time he gets a tooth, but this is just one more reminder that my little guy is growing up!! 

Cooper is rolling a little bit more and really likes to sit and play.  I have been able to leave him by himself a little longer with some toys and he will play.  This is definitely an improvement!  Cooper loves to constantly be held and still does, but it is getting better.  We have also been trying several other new things!  He has learned to clap and has begun babbling different syllables.  Although Josh has already called it his first word and it is not directed at anything, his favorite is definitely Da Da.  Cooper has started eating real food and has now had rotisserie chicken, avocados, black beans, broccoli, bananas and sweet potatoes.  So far he has loved all of them and is constantly wanting more.  He still eats baby food at least twice a day and nurses about every 3 hours.  Naps are hit or miss and I do still have to wake him up quite often to take Caroline to her activities so there is no set schedule for him. 

We just love our Coopman and can't picture life with out him!  Happy Eight Months little man, you are so special! 

These two really love each other!  I think Beca loves the fact that she can give him kisses and he "plays" with her, yet he cannot run and chase her or pick her up.  And of course he loves all of the attention!

little models

I just love this time of year!  We had a fundraiser for the Mom's Club where a photographer took some pictures in a pumpkin patch and the kids were both pretty cooperative.  Amazingly, she even got all 4 of us looking at the camera.