1/2 of 1 year old... what?

Sunday June 7th, Cooper Andrew Wells turned six months old. It truly isn't possible that 6 months ago I was in an OR crying tears of joy when I saw Christopher come around the drape with a chubby, swollen baby with black hair and dark eyes.


Before I had Cooper I was always anxiously awaiting for things to be over. Always ready to move onto the next thing. I was always saying "I can't wait for x, y or z!" Now I just want time to stop, or at least move in slow motion. I want to savor every minute of time and give and get all the love I can from this little person that makes me so happy.

Check-up stats:
Weight: 20 pounds, 9 ounces (86th percentile)
Length: 28.25 inches (93rd percentile)

Clothing: wears 12 months clothes primarily because he needs the extra length.
Shoes: Went right to a size 5 shoe. What???
Hair: Filling in and a little fuzzy on top, but very neat. Doctor thinks he looks like a mini-business man.

Dear Cooper Baby,


You are six months old now. According to Miss Alyson that's 181 days. A lot of fun we've had so far, huh? The first couple of months were pretty low key, but we've really turned up the excitement lately.

When you are awake you are WIDE awake and ready to go, play, move, talk, etc. And when you sleep, you sleep. This makes for pretty fun times together. You love to stand on my lap and dance on my lap and play in your Exersaucer. You love to eat solids like applesauce, prunes and pears and you love to snuggle and have warm bottles in Mommy's lap. You also love to laugh when tickled or when we make funny noises. You are so interested in your surroundings and particularly like it when Chips comes over and rests her chin on the Exersaucer so you can pet her. This week you started a new trick... when we lay you down on your changing table you arch your back, stick out your chest & belly and beat on your chest with your fists. You look like Tarzan and it's pretty funny when you are naked or just in a diaper.


For some reason if you see the camera or the video camera you stop doing whatever cute thing I was trying to capture on film. If you could keep on being silly I'd have more pics to post on this blog and your fans would be thrilled. Just a small request.


You will never know how much joy you bring your friends and family. Everyone lights up when they see you. The first thing they say is "What big eyes!!" Your big smile in the morning makes my day and I can't wait to see it everyday until I allow you to eventually leave home.

Love You, Love You, Love You

Mommy

Photos

Baptism photos, 6 month photos, 6 month letter to Cooper and 6 month checkup details will be posted tomorrow night. Now for your viewing pleasure I give you Cooper...

A big boy in his new big boy car seat.

Above: Give. Me. The. Camera.

Below: I could watch him all day long. Cooper's 5 month photo with Mr. Elephant. Scared of the elephant, me or the flash?

Recipes

I know for those of you out there that haven't eaten any of the following items it will be hard to convince you to make these things without pictures. I promise two things: they are worth your time and I will start taking pics of food. Here we go...

Jezebel Sauce

This recipe is a dip typically used with sliced deli ham as an appetizer. For Cooper's reception I decided to serve it as a condiment on Hawaiian rolls with ham. Recipe is from the Harding Academy cook book.

10 oz of apple jelly
12 oz of pineapple preserves
5 oz horseradish

Heat in a saucepan until melted together and let cool. Spicy and Sweet!!!!

Cupcake Frosting

I was trying to find a recipe that wasn't a traditional buttercream, but also wasn't your typical cream cheese frosting either. Thanks to Smitten Kitchen I found a great frosting: easy to make, easy to pipe onto cupcakes and delish!!!

16 oz cream cheese (room temp)
4 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
1.5 pounds of xxx sugar
1.5 t vanilla extract

Those all of these into your Kitchenaid stand mixer and let it go until light and fluffy. If you don't have a Kitchenaid stand mixer you can use a hand mixer but tomorrow morning go out and get a Kitchenaid. It will turn you into a baker. Promise.

Pasta Salad

I have never had a great pasta salad recipe. Since I'm addicted to the pasta salad with ham and peas on the Ruby Tuesday's salad bar (why do they change their menu so much?) the perfect recipe was hard to find. Everything I looked at had ingredients I'm scared of (mushrooms, olives, etc.). However, I found this on my FAVORITE recipe site allrecipes.com and by making some substitutions per people's reviews ended up with a great standard pasta salad recipe.

12 oz tri-color rotini
12 oz bacon
1 c mayo
1 packet ranch dressing mix
.25 t garlic powder
.50 t pepper
.50 c milk
1 small container grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 small box of frozen peas
4 carrots, shredded

-Bowl pasta in salted water per package directions. Throw in frozen peas right before it's done. Drain and set aside.
- Cook bacon. Drain and chop.
- In a large bowl mix mayo, dressing mix, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir in milk until smooth.
- Throw in the remaining ingredients and stir to coat.
- Cover and chill at least one hour.

Stutgart Cheese

I might be spelling that wrong, but it doesn't matter. This dip/spread is amazing. It is also a Harding Academy recipe and is a staple at Osgood family functions. I serve it in a pumpernickel bread bowl with cubes of bread or crackers. During my pregnancy I literally made a batch of this and ate it and ONLY it for 3 days until it was gone.

16 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
12 green onions, chopped
1 small package sliced almonds
2 c mayo
2 T Dijon mustard

Throw in a bowl and mix. Refrigerate overnight if possible.

Note: Sometimes shredding your own cheese makes a big difference in a recipe, but not in this instance. Buy it pre-shredded.

Note: Jane also recommends putting this on bread and putting it under the broiler. I am tempted to do just that with some Pepperidge Farm Hearty White with some leftover ham under the cheese. Mmmm....

Potato Salad

This recipe is relatively new to me as well, but since it came from allrecipes I knew it would be a hit. I served with ribs, rolls, a green salad and cake. Made for a great summer dinner with great friends.

2 lb new potatoes, cleaned and cubed
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
16 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 T relish
1 c sour cream
2 T mustard
1 c mayo
dash of paprika
S&P to taste

- Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, but still firm; drain and let cool
- Add all other ingredients to cooled potatoes and mix.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Note: You can buy hardboiled eggs in Publix's deli which makes me much more inclined to make things with hardboiled eggs as an ingredient. I've never mastered hard boiling eggs. If you have, let me know how.

Food Blog

Even though this blog was created to share info about Cooper I think I will occasionally use it to post recipes. The last few times I've entertained I've been asked for recipes so why not just put them up here??? I will be online later to blog about Cooper's baptism and his 6 month bday (today!!!) but I will also attempt to post the following yummy treats (sorry no pictures).

Jezebel Sauce
Cupcake Frosting
Pasta Salad
Stutgart Cheese
Potato Salad

Separation

Two nights ago I laid in bed by myself (CW is on nights in the CCU) and thought about medical marriages and the struggles that are all part of the package. The particular struggle that was on my mind that night was how friends come and go from your life as they move on to fellowships, private practices or faculty positions at other hospitals in other states. If they don't go seeking more training or an exciting opportunity in a new place, they will often return to their homes or closer to family because they are simply tired of feeling displaced and alienated from loved ones.

Even though these moves onward and upward make perfect sense it contributes to a reality that is constantly changing. My landscape is markedly different from year to year. And those years run from July to June not the January to December calendar that was my reality pre-CW. I practically hold my breath whenever anyone starts talking about interviews because that is the first step to leaving.

Speaking of leaving, tonight I will get on a plane and head to another state without my husband, dogs or child. This will be my first time away from Cooper overnight and right now I'm kind of melancholy about it. Of course, it's for a very good cause... Dana's Bachelorette Weekend!!!! I know once I start heading to the airport with the best friends a girl could have I will be fine. But kissing my baby goodbye this morning was hard... very hard.

Cooper is in good hands with Christopher's parents and I know all is well at 7444. I'm going to party it up and then spend all night Sunday lovin' on my babies... all of them.

April was... busy

April came and went like a flash like many months and included many exciting events. Our dear friends Nick and Meg (of nursery stripes glory) got married and bought a house. I turned 31. Cooper celebrated his first Easter. Cooper also got his first ear infection. A very busy month indeed...

We are all excited about May and the adventures is will bring. I am now the current President of the VHA which is CRAZY. It will be a busy year, but worth every minute for this group I love so much. Even though we have had a change in leadership at VUMC, I'm hopeful that the new administration will love and support this great group of spouses! Also, this month I will take my first trip away from home (and my Coopies) but Christopher's parents will be here to assist in his care. Other than that we will be planning for June's fun including Dana's Couples Shower, Cooper's Baptism, and Dana's wedding.

Below are some pictures. This weekend I will post Cooper's 5 month pics and updates.

This is Cooper with his Lovie. It's a blanket with a bunny head and arms attached to it. This was a gift from his Grandmama Wells for Easter. It's silk on the inside and he loves to cuddle with it when he's sleepy as you can see. He rubs it against his face and just drifts off. So cute... I stole the name Lovie from my friend Angela... but it's the perfect name because you can tell he loves it.

Cooper's first experience with rice cereal. He makes a funny face when it's put in his mouth, but after he swallows he kicks his legs like crazy as if he wants more. Who knows...

It's Grrrrreat!

My little lion after a bath.

Mommy and her lion cub.

Cooper's First Easter

Despite my son's grumpy expression in the picture above and his total ambivalence towards his Easter Basket in the other picture, we had a fantastic Easter.

We got up early to partake in the 7 am service at our church. I thought this would be the least crowded and shortest service which are both important when you have a 4 month old in attendance. It went great. The Bishop led the service which was a treat and Cooper behaved very well. He must have known he looked great in his new bubble. He received many compliments from church goers and got blessed by the Bishop at communion. It made his Mommy teary-eyed. Something about the words "May the blessing of God Almighty, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you now and always."

After service we headed to Noshville to dine with Nick and Meg who closed on their first home yesterday and are getting married in Hawaii a week from today!!!! Cooper again did very well and fell asleep after Mommy changed him. Our first public bathroom diaper change was successful and didn't freak me out at all which was a big personal victory :)

After a yummy breakfast we headed home to play and then to Nanny and Pop Pop's for Easter supper and April birthday celebrations. Cooper got lots of love and fell fast asleep in Aunt Crystal's arms as she rocked him on the front porch.

A Happy Bunny Day indeed!