First Christmas

Best Part of Opening Gifts was the Wrapping

Christmas was so much fun this year with us being able to share it with our little guy. This was the first of many years that we'll get to spoil Cooper and share new things with him as he grows up. Our small little house was filled with family from both sides, all bringing mounds of goodies for Cooper to play with. It's great to see the two families combine and grow, and I know Cooper will have a lot of family to grow up with.

Why this Christmas was so great:

1. Coop got to play with all his cousins- 7 girls and 1 boy

2. Food turned out delicious

3. Great company

4. Shared new yummy foods with lil man

5. This was the first year to celebrate with our own child, the start of new traditions, and stories.

Our Little Gift

We had to mess with him!

Our Soon-to-be Fisherman. He's gonna be a pro learning from his daddy.

Thank You Great-Grandma, Coop Loves Chewing on the Doggie's Ears

Early Reader ;)

Happy New Year Everyone!

Splish Splash I Was Takin' a Bath!

Dirty Boy! Apples and Prunes are AWESOME



Hmm..How can I get that?!



Best way to clean a dirty mouth!


Handsome Boy






Santa Claus Came to Town!

We gave a few people in the mall quite a laugh today while trying to get Cooper to smile for Santa. I knew he was going to be way too interested in the beard and sure enough, he was. Luckily after mom and dad practically stood on their heads, little man gave all of us a smile. Cooper's First Santa photo!

Thankful

Reading his Snowman Book

The last few weeks have been like a rollercoaster for me. Usually I'm "The Strong One" who can usually keep a straight face even in the toughest of situations, but for the first time since Coop was born I broke down. We were using the nasal stents faithfully  for 2 1/2 weeks after surgery. Must I say BIGGEST pain ever! The rubber pieces going into his nostrils were soo long, each time they were inserted, he would start bleeding from his sinuses. Cooper did not sleep, and would sneeze every 4 seconds constantly while crying his little eyes out. He did not take to the stents at all and believe me we tried our very best. I am all for keeping them in to keep shape in his nose, but it's not worth it to see how absolutely miserable he was. There was NO letting up on his misery. My little boy who pretty much tolerates anything let me know he had finally had it. So, after my breakdown while trying to calm Coop down after putting in the nasal stents, I came to the conclusion that some babies don't even wear nasal stents after surgery or use the NAM so Coop should be just fine. The doctors were already planning on doing a revision anyway when he has his palate surgery.
So any way. We are now looking at our baby with absolutely nothing on his face! No tape, no wires, no stents-he is just my sweet baby boy with his crooked little smile.

I am absolutely so thankful for everyone who has helped with Cooper over the last 7 months. I often get caught up in what I'm doing and forget what everyone else has done for us. My brothers and their families are so wonderful with Coop and love him dearly. My Grandma still can't get over talking of how much she's in love with him and kisses his pictures daily! And then there's my mom. The only person I feel can handle taking care of Coop as well as I can. She's there to help whenever we need and I am truly grateful for her. We also have the support of Joel's family which is great with Coop being the first grand baby. One more thing I absolutely love, I love days when I take Coop out and strangers stop to admire him. Although I know these people for no more than a few minutes, they brighten my day when they lay their blessings on us. So thank you to those out there that aren't afraid to speak up to the families of cleft babies. It really is much better to ask questions than to stare awkwardly!

On that note, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. Keep in mind, little gestures go a long way when doing something nice for others. Here are some holiday pics.

Gotta Love the Mohawk

Getting into the Christmas Books While Decorating

I absolutely love Coop's reaction when I placed Mr. Snowman there when he wasn't looking. Look at those eyes!

Aww, my little teething man.

Pic Update

1 Week 2 Days Post-Op

1 Week 5 Days

Just Changed Taping

2 Weeks Post-Op

Yesterday we had another follow-up appointment which went much better than our last visit. Everything seems to be healing just fine, and Coop's stitches should be falling out soon. We have an appt. with the surgeon Jan. 12 which means 1 whole month without driving to Sac! This will be the longest we'll go without having to see the doctors at UC Davis since he was born. I guess that is momma's Christmas gift this season. I'll keep everyone updated on Mr. Coop's healing. Happy Friday!

Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear

My Little Bear

The last few days have been beyond busy for our little man. To start out he had his 1 week post-op which as you might have read went horrible. Then, Turkey Day arrived and we went to visit with family at my brother's house. It was great company and awesome food, and surprisingly Coop was out of my hands all day. He got lovins from everyone, and in fact the only time I was "allowed" to have him is when he needed a change or to be fed. Honestly it was a really nice break from the constant care since the surgery. Heck, he's practically been  attached to me since then. He enjoyed playing with the other baby cousins and had his fair share of being the hot potato being tossed from one person to the next. The evening concluded, and we started our late night journey back home to await our next fun surprise.

The Center of Attention ; )

The next evening Joel's sister welcomed a beautiful baby boy, healthy as can be. Unfortunately she had him late that night after Coop fell asleep so we had to wait until the next day to meet him. Weighing 6lbs 6oz and 19 inches long, Coop finally got to meet his first boy cousin in the family. (Cooper was the first boy in the family since my brother 28 years ago.) Thankfully for her labor went quick, and smoothly especially for her first child. God has blessed our family with 4 healthy babies in the past 7 months and they have all been such  wonderful additions.

Baby Aaron

Big Cousin Coop

Sunday, Joel made the spontaneous decision to pack up the clan and head to the snow. This wasn't the first snow experience for Mr. Cooper, but it was the first time he got to play in it and actually acknowledge what was going on. I was very excited to bundle him in his new fuzzy wuzzy bear outfit which is the most cuddly thing on earth!

Snow Day

As the day ends, I realize yet another month has nearly passed, and it is time to reflect on all the crazy things we've encountered. Cooper is just growing up to fast, which I expected since years flew by before Cooper was even a thought. I just didn't realize how important each day would be with him. I swear I learn something new from him everyday. He is such a bright light in my life. (Even when he's Mr. Fussy Fusserston.)

My Loves



Post-Op

Wednesday was our 1 week post-op, and we had a terrible experience. We met with a resident at our hospital (not yet a Dr. or Surgeon) who took out the stitches in his nostrils that were holding the nasal stents in. She also removed the glue and goop around the surgery site. Poor little Coop had a rough time with the visit. Apparently  the nose adhesion didn't close together with the lip too well. It had come apart sometime before the visit she stated, yet did nothing about it. I was shocked to hear the words, "Ohh, that doesn't look too good, I'm worried about that." and then have her pack us with supplies and say "Here you go. We'll see you next week." What?! That's not what you want to hear from a professional, especially when it concerns your baby. I refused to leave the office until she put in some sort of effort into helping us. It was really a ridiculous Dr. visit. First she suggested to keep the nasal stents in by thin steri strips. She did a few strips around the nose and aahhh-choo it blew out on the floor, then she spent 15 min troubleshooting and then she came to the conclusion that she'd just tape his ENTIRE face. Hmm that'll do the job...... It's just troubling seeing someone you are expecting to trust as a professional act so uneducated when they are working with you. I have to tell you the tape job was absolutely awesome! The best part is that I was expected to tape it as she did each time. Just check out the pictures and you'll see what I mean. Maybe we will receive better help next week. Fingers Crossed!

Note the crookedness of the nasal stents

I'm to do this everytime?! Really...



Thanks to the mom's on babycenter, I found a much easier, and logical way to tape him. Thanks Betsy! 



Cooper's New Face



Enjoying each other's company before the big day



It was an early morning for us Monday as we embarked on our 2 hour journey to UC Davis Children's Hospital. I waited until last minute to wake Cooper up since he usually sleeps in til 7:30am and we had to be out of the house by 6:30. To say the least he wasn't a happy boy. We met with his doctor for his pre-op appointment where we got the overview of the lip repair procedure. After that, we had hours to spare in Sac before we could check in to the Ronald McDonald House. Imagine, Coop was up since 6:00 am and refuses to sleep in the car, so he did not take one nap all day. It was one long day.



Flirting with Dad at Ronald House

 

Just Woke Up

 I have to say, The Ronald McDonald house exceeded our expectations. We were expecting a room in a common house, but were treated with a private 2 bedroom apartment. The apt was fully stocked with everything you could possibly need and there was a free shuttle available from 5:30am-midnight to and from the hospital. Once we were all settled in, Coop was out cold for 4 hours. When he woke, he was greeted by his Auntie, Uncle, and baby Cousin.

The next morning, I procrastinated waking Coop once again until last minute since I knew the first thing he'd want would be a bottle (he wasn't allowed any food after 1 AM.) After check-in at 7am, we waited until 9  when we would be separated from our little boy. It was a rough 2 hours waiting with a starving boy who only fusses when he's hungry. Once the doctors arrived, it was time to part ways and that was the last we'd see our little guy with his wide-smile. It was a very bittersweet moment handing him over to the anesthesiologist.

Last Family Pic with Our Wide Smile

Joel and I waited anxiously in the main lobby until noon when I just had a feeling it was time to see our "new" boy. Sure enough, the doctors had just finished, and we were taken back to see him. I swear it was like I was holding someone else's baby. He weighed a ton being completely dead weight. Everything was swollen and puffy, and his face just looked SO different. It was hard seeing him so out-of-it but I knew he needed me the most. Joel held him for a few minutes, but the sight of all the blood literally made him almost pass out cold. He had to toss Coop off and get fresh air. We had prepared ourselves for this moment by viewing pictures of babies right out of surgery so it wouldn't be as horrific, but since it was our child, it was.

Just out of the operating room

 The rest of that day and night, Cooper didn't sleep in any longer than 5 min stretches. It was odd knowing he'd only slept 3 hours that day (during surgery) and he still would NOT go to sleep. Joel went back to the Ronald House that evening and I stayed with Coop in the hospital. Worst night ever! Neither of us got any sleep due to our little neighbor boy, and the fact that the monitors kept malfunctioning and beeping like crazy.
Our nurse was so helpful and made bottles for him every hour it seemed. Thankfully Coop didn't loose his appetite at all after surgery. He started off with 6 bottles of Pedialyte, then formula every hour or so. We are currently feeding him through a syringe which I can not wait to throw away. (I think my hand will permanently be broken after this is over with.)

Wednesday Morning

Coop is doing much better, he's sleeping a little more now that we're home. I can't put him in his crib because he rolls onto his stomach and rubs his face, so I've been putting him down in his boppy so I can sleep with him and keep an eye on him.  It's hard keeping him occupied during the day since he can't really do anything with his no no's on (arm restraints.) He is a very active baby and you can tell he's going crazy not being able to crawl and put things in his mouth. Poor guy has another 2 weeks of complete boredom and mommy has another 2 weeks of a very needy baby to entertain.                                 

The only toy he can play in

Two Days Post-Op

3 Days Post-Op

Well since I've written a book, I might as well stop.
Coop's post-op is the day before Thanksgiving and I'm looking forward to the traffic on 99 :) WooHoo
I'll keep everyone posted on anything new

Last Weekend with Our Wide Smile : (

It has come time to say goodbye to our little one's open smile. We have all anxiously awaited his surgery and having his "problem fixed," since we first knew of his cleft at 20 weeks gestation. Now that the day is quickly approaching, it is becoming more realistic to what we are actually enduring. We are losing the precious little smile that the whole family has come to love and the face that we have all adored since we first set eyes on him. We have learned to adjust to the cleft, and in fact, it is actually strange to see babies without clefts because Coop is what I'm used to. He is my love, and I know I'll learn to love his NEW smile. He'll probably be even 10 times more adorable. Hey, I get a second FIRST smile out of my child. Not many parents have that privilege. I could not imagine my life any other way. I'm grateful that I was chosen to raise a child who needed that extra special attention, I think that if this had not panned out the way it has, I would have taken the gift of being a parent for granted. Sure I would have been ecstatic still, but having Cooper has opened my eyes to just how precious every moment is when you're given the blessing of a child. Every movement when he was in my belly was a reminder of how powerful life is, and to this day I admire everything about my son. His innocence is what hits me the hardest, with all he has had to go through, he knows no different. Nothing phases him. He is Cooper the Little Trooper! Please keep us in your prayers Cooper will undergo surgery on Tuesday.

Now we are going to savor every second with him as we start our weekend. Happy Friday!

On the Move!

In the last few days Cooper has mastered the art of using his arms and knees to crawl. Momma's cell phone was the key inspiration for him to improve his "army crawl." I always set him on the floor with my phone, a remote w/out batteries, and a few toys. Today he actually managed to make his very first phone call. I always lock my phone before I give him my phone which requires one to press the # and call key to unlock. Somehow while I was making a bottle, he unlocked my phone and conveniently held down the 2 key to call my mother. I went to swaddle him for his feeding and was acting ridiculous as usual when it's just him and me in the house, when I realized my phone said, "mom cell connected." Too crazy! Coop loves his Grandma so there's no doubt he purposely called her. Luckily it was her and not a doctor, or old friend I haven't talked to in years! Silly boy. There's never a dull day with him :)

NAM: Before and After

Here is a side-by-side view of how much Cooper's gap has come together. His palate gap was over 12mm wide and as of almost a month ago it is actually touching! 

     Left: 1 Day Old, Middle: 3 Months using NAM before Nasal Stent, Right: 1 Week Old

My Little Blondie 

 Front of palate finally touches!

       Last Stage of Cooper's NAM. It is shaved off as much as possible and no more acrylic can be added.

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

Cooper had his first trip the the pumpkin patch yesterday. We had a bit of a late start, but we enjoyed some delicious food and took a spin on the hayride with the company of his Cousin, Aunt, and Uncle. We sure did catch the attention of many children yesterday. I do know they are only children, but the looks on some of their faces just made me so upset. There was this young girl in line in front of us who literally did not take her eyes off Cooper the ENTIRE time. This was the first  time a little child has ever made me so uncomfortable. Usually children come right up and ask, "What happened?" or "What's wrong with his lip?" which I don't mind by any means. It is when they gawk that really disturbs me. But, I know it's all in parenting, 99% of the children that notice Coop in public usually are very polite and know not to stare too long.  Thank you to those of you who instill good manners in your children. I know parents of children who look a little different really appreciate it. This is just something that is part of having a cleft child I guess, and I would not change a thing!