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