GROSS

Every night we brush the boys' teeth before bed.  It is just part of the daily rituals.  Josh and Caleb are pretty good about completing this task by themselves, but we give Josh the breath test, because you really can never be too sure.  And little Caleb, well, he will wander the house for 15 minutes basically chewing on his toothbrush and never really getting any teeth clean.  So we always check his teeth before he gets the okay.

Matthew on the other hand loves to brush everything but his teeth.  So we have him get his toothbrush, bring it to us and we basically pin him down and brush his little chompers.  Several days ago, Matthew brought his toothbrush to Tyson and it was already pretty wet.  We assumed that either Matthew had been chewing on it and covered it in drool or Caleb or Josh had been nice enough to get it wet for him in the sink.  Either way, we didn't care, so Tyson brushed him teeth and then sent him back to the bathroom to put it away.

That is when a little fight between Caleb (who is in the bathroom supposedly brushing) and Matthew begins.

Caleb: "Matthew, leave me alone!"
Matthew: "Ah!" (it is kind of a sound like that, kind of a little defensive war cry)
Caleb: "Matth-EW!  Put is away and leave me alone!"
pause
"Matthew, it doesn't go there."
Pause
"Matthew!  Don't put it in the toilet!!"

Both Tyson and I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, not in enough time though.  And sadly two little boys had already used the toilet and hadn't flushed yet.  That toothbrush quickly went into the trash.

The only thing we wondered about was, how exactly did his toothbrush get wet before the brushing?  And did we brush his teeth with urine?

The disgustingness of little boys never ceases to amaze me.

Adjusting

We are starting to get used to our new routine and life.  Next week I start babysitting again, so that will be another adjustment, but I am sure it will be a good one.  Andrew is doing better about his schedule too which is nice, I don't feel like I am feeding him every two seconds anymore.  He is sleeping now.  Caleb quickly does his chores in the morning so he can play on the Kindle Fire for a little bit.  It is pretty cute.  Matthew...well, he is cute, but man alive, he is a holy terror.  I have been trying to really be consistent and punish him accordingly (he has a habit of charming his way out of things).  It is no easy thing sticking with what I say I am going to do.  :)

Little Josh is loving school.  And after my one incident of missing the bus, I was there 20 minutes early yesterday and just sat there with little Matthew waiting for him.  He said when he hopped off, "I LOVE school!  I just want to stay there ALL day long!"  Then he preceded to tell me everything he could remember for the next hour.  After awhile I couldn't really understand what he was saying and my brain hurt, but I kept looking interested, cuz it is just so cute that he wanted me to know everything.  He is so precious and way to grown up looking.

I better go so I can do the dishes before the "bebe" wakes up.  But before I do, funny story time:

I made brownies on Sunday that had coconut and chocolate chunks in them (delish, you should totally try it).  Josh takes a bite and goes, "MOOOM!  Do these brownies have onions in them?!"
I guess coconut looks like onions and since I am always hiding onions in the food because they think they hate them, he was very suspicious.  He almost didn't eat it, but I guess it was so good he didn't care.

Love my crazy boys.

Comings and Goings

These past few weeks have been crazy, but so much fun.  Little Andrew (I am still getting used to saying his name) is so darling and precious.  Most of the time he is an angel of a child.  At night though...not so much.  It is probably because I am only half awake and he won't go right to sleep.  But he is SOOOO cute.  I love the little baby faces he makes and the tiny smiles in his sleep.  Even his crying is sweet (except when I want to sleep, then not so cute).  We have had lots of doc appointments and trips to the hospital lab to get tested for jaundice.  We became pros and everyone in the lab knew us.  It was great. :)  But now his levels are good, so no more trips there, thankfully.

 

Mom and Dad Cooper are with us and they have been such a blessing.  I get to nap so much, and thanks to Mom C and Cassie and Dallin, the meals have been amazing.  Dad C does dishes and takes Andrew when I can't get him to stop crying, he even gave the three older boys their Sunday bath (a task I don't really like since they HATE washing their hair and Matthew basically screams like a drowning cat the entire time). 

 

 

Plus, I have received 2 1/2 lemon meringue pies since the hospital, which I have personally devoured.  Okay, I shared a little bit, but not much.  There must be something that I NEED in them because I crave them more than I craved anything while I was pregnant.  They are soooo deliciously divine.  I really don't know if I could ever get enough of them.  It is probably a good thing I haven't learned how to make them yet or I really would never loose my baby weight.  Surprisingly I have lost quite a bit of it.  I am still a little pudgy around the middle, but not bad.  It feels great to be getting back to normal so quickly.

The only thing that seems to be taking a long time being normal is my eye sight.  I still am having a hard time reading and right now, all the words are a bit blurry.  I wonder if that was pregnancy eye stuff, or if I really am just getting old. :)

So the in-laws are here, which I am loving, and then my mom got back two days ago from visiting my sister, Kenni.  I am sad for Kenni because I wish she had some of our family closer to her (I really wish that family was me too), but I'm glad Mom got to be there, and I'm really glad she is back.  I have gotten way too spoiled with her living so close.

Yesterday at church, Tyson was able to bless little Andrew.  My Dad even took some time off work so he could be there, which meant a lot to me.  I love baby blessings.  It gives such insight into who the Lord sees this little one becoming, it gives a glimpse of their potential.  It is such a neat thing to see Tyson worry so much about the blessing before hand.  That has been one of the neatest things about being married, I get to see the Priesthood at work at a very closer level.  I didn't realize so much thought and humility went into all the things he does when he uses the Priesthood authority that he has.  It is very inspiring.  And I am very excited to see my little Andrew grow up and the man he will be.

I used to think I would be a mom to little kids forever.  Somedays it still feels like that, but I am starting to see how quickly that changes.  Little Andrew looks a lot like Joshua when he was a baby, so it gives me a lot of flashbacks to almost six years ago.  I can still remember so much of it like it was just a few weeks ago, or even this morning.  How could six whole years have flown by?  Tyson pointed out last night that we have already had Josh for a 1/3 of the time we will have him home with us.  WHAT?!  I thought.  Okay, I know that sounds a little weird, but think about it.  Six years has flown by, I only get 12 more until he is all grown up.

Then there is him going to school.  Today was his first day of Kindergarten.  It only lasted an hour or so, but tomorrow will be a full day.  So much of his day will be out of my influence.  He will meet people I don't know, hear lots of things I would rather he didn't, experience things that I am not a part of and may never learn about.  It pulls at my heart and makes my throat tighten, almost like I am being a little strangled.

Should I really let him do this?  Would homeschooling him be better?  Should I drive him so he doesn't ride the bus?

But I know that isn't how it should be.  I know he needs to learn how to resist temptation and not repeat things that he knows aren't good.  I know he can be an incredible influence for good for people that really need it.  I know hiding him away and hoping the world doesn't reach him wouldn't be good for any of us.  Homeschooling is great for some kids and some families, but I prayed about it a lot, and I know I need to let him go to school.  I just hope my influence and teachings will be stronger than anyone else's.  And I hope that my influence is actually a good one.  :)

 

Being a parent is so much more than I ever imagined.  And how on earth am I old enough to have a kid that is going to school?

Baby: Side Effects

It is not just difficult for me to adjust having a baby.  I forget that there are other creatures in my house that are affected as well.  True, they are not sore from pushing the 14cm head out of them, but they still have to deal with a lot of changes too.

Tyson has been amazing and taking care of the three older kids pretty much all day, ever day.  Especially for the first few days when I felt like I was a complete train wreck and couldn't remember how to feed a newborn, or change him, or get him to stop crying.  Oh and deal with pain, pain in lots of areas that are unpleasant.  Then the milk came in and that is always a blessing and a curse.  All I could think of was "I am never having another one," and "how did I convince myself to do this AGAIN?"

But it has only been 5 days and things are already looking much better.  I think me and the wee one are feeling much more human and in less pain.  We kind of have a routine and we are both kind of sleeping.  So things are looking up.  :)  Plus, holding that little bundle of love, I just melt.  He is so cute the way his whole body scrunches up into a little lump and he just falls asleep.  I love the weird open one eye just to a slit and look around, then shut it again, like he is checking to see if it is safe or worth waking up for.  Or how if anything brushes his cheek or mouth he starts freaking out with his mouth wide open like a baby bird.  I just love him.  The whole 9 months of discomfort and the post-birthing adjustment are totally worth it.

His big brothers adore him.  This morning, they all huddled around his little bouncer and just kept oohing and aahing over him.  "His lips are so tiny!"  "Look at his hands Mama, they are so little!"  "Isn't his face just so cute?"  "Haha, did you hear that noise, he sounds like a squirrel!"

Every morning, Matthew comes running into my room with his arms spread wide and says "Bebe?"  He kisses and kisses his head when he finally finds him.  The other day I realized Matthew wasn't in the front room with me and found him in the back trying to feed the baby a water bottle.  I am so thankful I found him when I did because poor Andrew was basically being water logged.  It is terrifying, but so sweet how they all just adore the "bebe."

They also are having some not so fun side effects.  Like how Josh is freakishly emotional.  I know it is the age, and the fact that he is scared and excited for school to start, but I think having just one more change as huge as adding a new kid in the house, has really thrown him for a loop.  I tell him to go get dressed and you would think I told him we were shipping him to Africa to live by himself.  He wailed and collapsed to the floor and then ran around the house screaming and moaning.  Yesterday he was so upset by something he cried until he puked.  I just kind of sit there with big eyes, totally mystified as to how I should handle the situation.  I don't even know where to begin.

Then there is Caleb, who suddenly has forgotten how to be a little boy and cannot remember how to do anything we have taught him.  He can't sleep through the night without wetting the bed (okay, not every night, but a few), he can't open child locks anymore, he can't turn on the water, he can't clean up or do his chores.  "I can't do dat!  I just can't!"  How do you forget how to do things just because a baby was born?  Someone please explain how that happens.

However, Matthew has been surprisingly normal.  He even seems to have matured a little bit.  He gets whiny sometimes, but nothing unusual.  The only thing is now he seems HUGE to me.  I can barely lift him.  Hm, maybe I am like Caleb, I have lost my strength because I am used to just a little weight in my arms.

So today, Josh and Caleb were playing with some blocks on the window sill and Matthew kept bugging them.  That is totally normal.  The two older rug rats start whining and pushing Matthew away.  So Matthew wanting to show them just how mean he can be, walks up and just swipes their whole building down.

"MATTHEW!!!  That was MINE!!!  He WWWWRRECKED IT!"
He just smiles a sneaky and proud smile.

So naturally, we put him in time out.

Matthew sits in the corner pouting, looking remorseful as he always does but never really is.

Tyson mentions something to him about how if he doesn't shape up, we will sell him to the gypsies next time they come around.  That of course leads Josh to ask a million questions about gypsies.  Tyson continues on that we would still get a good price for Matthew, but Andrew would sell for the most.  Caleb, we might make some money on, but Josh wouldn't be worth selling (I guess the younger the kid, the more money you make on them.  I am not totally sure, I would have to check with the next gypsy I meet).

So then Josh looks around with a giant smile, spreads his arms and says "Then all these toys would be mine!"

Apparently he is all for selling off his brothers.

I think he normally likes them though, but who knows.

New Baby

I don't know how long I have, so this might be quick.  As I have been posting, for weeks now I have been having TONS of contractions and couldn't tell if they were real or not.  So on the night of August 2, they started again but I didn't think much of it.  I just know I could barely sleep.  Tyson suggested I should read and hopefully that would take my mind of them.  So I did and I promptly fell asleep.  Until a few hours later, Matthew came in crying and he had a fever.  Of course.

 

The two of us made a little nest on the couch in the front room and snuggled there until he got bored and wanted to play with his toys (at 2am).  Being the mother I am, I let him play, and I read my book.  Tys has a contraction app on his phone that he got just for me, so I used that to see how fast they were coming, about 10 minutes apart.  Finally Matthew gave up with his toys and went to snuggle with Daddy.  I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn't leave, so I just went back to the couch.  Around 5, I asked Tys to come join me on the couch cuz I felt lonely.  He came to lay down and asked as I doubled over in pain, "do I need to call people?" because apparently I am not capable of actually telling him we need to go to the hospital.

"Yeah, probably a good idea."

 

Thankfully Dallin heard his phone and he and Cassie came right away, we left for the hospital and made it with much more time to spare than with Matthew (he was born 8 minutes after we got there).

 

The nurses took one look at my sheet and within minutes the whole room was set and ready to go.  I was thinking "Why?  I am only dilated to a 4."  And my water hadn't even broken, I thought for sure they would send me home.  Nope.  They let me walk around and that was awesome, I had never had that luxury before.  My friend, Em, had taught me some breathing techniques and by some miracle, even through transitioning and the whole labor process, I didn't take any drugs and I breathed without screaming.  It was just a few hours though, but a huge deal for me.

 

I thought for sure it would take longer, but when my water broke, the nurse asked to check to see how dilated I was, she said 10, got the doctor and told me I could push anytime.  I kept thinking, "there is no way."

 

But then it came time to push, and a few contractions passed and I didn't feel like pushing, I just felt like dying.  That is when I screamed.  :)  But it didn't last long and at 9:03 am, the little guy came into the world.

 

I fell in love with him.

 

Now I can't believe I have four beautiful boys and the most incredible husband (and the boys got all their good looks from him).

 

Recovery process is not so easy this time around.  I am in a lot of pain in a lot of different areas and I have to take special meds just to keep my blood from clotting in my leg.  But in a few weeks, I will be drug free and hopefully in much less pain and me and the little guy will be in a routine and feel more like ourselves.

 

 

Even though it is SOOO not easy, just seeing a picture of these guys reminds me it is totally worth it.

 

 

Andrew "Squeaker" Thompson Cooper, 8lbs 8oz, 20in.

(He really sounds like a baby dragon when he cries and he squeaks a lot)

 

Love these boys.

How To Properly Mop Your Kitchen Floor

I discovered a new and very quick way to mop our kitchen floor.  It is pretty awesome so I am going to share my new found wisdom with you.

1. Fill a large pitcher full of water (approximately a gallon and a half).
2. Leave said pitcher just far enough away from the edge of the counter to look tantalizing to an almost 2 year old.
3. Such 2 year old will of course find a stool just large enough to give him the height to reach up, grab the handle on the pitcher, drag it to the ledge and then of course dump the contents all over the floor, somehow keeping himself totally dry.
4. Grab 3-5 large towels and soak up the water as quickly as possible.  Use last towel to "skate" around the kitchen and clean up remaining moisture.

You may be frustrated with this process and it will cause an extra load of laundry, but man, it cleans the floor fast and it has never felt cleaner.  :)

You should try it...or not.

New Addition

Okay...so no, this isn't the new addition I have been really hoping would come, but the little guy is still super cute.  The other day we went for a walk and this little kitten kept following us.  He (or she, I have never been able to tell the difference) was super precious and not totally friendly, but curious.  Just like my kids.  :)

So we went home and didn't think much of it.  Well, this morning, he showed up at our house.  He has been wandering around, sniffing everything, avoiding my kids, and then napped in the stroller, totally at home.  So I'm not sure why he is still here, I won't let the kids feed him because I have a hard enough time keeping food on the table for the hungry boys I already am responsible for.  Plus, if we ever have a cat, I want it to be a mouser, not lazy.

So we will see if he sticks around, I don't know why he would, but hey, you never know.  It would make Josh beyond happy.

As for me, I just want this baby to come.  I know I have no reason to feel like it should be here already, my technical due date is Monday.  But I still would LOVE the millions of contractions to actually mean something.  I barely sleep because the contractions get so bad at night and then in the morning...nothing.  Why oh why all the faking me out?  This little stinker.

I was so cranky this morning.  Tyson poked me or pushed me or something, (don't worry, it is a sign of affection and usually I like it) but it just made me start crying because it hurt.  My hips hurt, my legs hurt, I'm just sick of being pregnant and want the healing process to start so I can get better, not be stuck in the limbo of plumpness.  So I start bawling and feel so dumb because seriously, why am I crying?  Nothing is actually wrong with me.

"I am just so sick of this kid!  Why won't he come already?"

But Tys has become very experienced in dealing with my moodiness.  And he just laughed and hugged me.  Then he reminded me I called Caleb, while I was pregnant with him, the "baby from hell" because I was so not myself.  I was whiny and cranky and cried ALL the time.  And then right after I had Matthew, they tried to hand him to me and I wouldn't take him because I was so mad at him.  That delivery hurt and the oxytocin hadn't kicked in yet.  :)  After like 10 seconds, I relented and then loved the little guy more than ever before.

I guess I just don't like pain, I don't like waiting and I don't like what pregnancy does to me.  So I kind of blame the poor kid.  But I mean really, it isn't their fault.  I am the one that wanted to have another baby so badly.

Don't worry, I calmed down and am not too frustrated with this little un-named child anymore.  I just am ready for him to come.  Until I have a hard contraction and then I get a vague remembrance of my last delivery and worry about going through it again.

Babies are so worth it, but if teens could experience just 5 minutes of pregnancy or delivery, there would be no unwed mothers or teen pregnancy.  Seriously, no sane person would do it.

My little sister Carmel was joking around and had a balloon belly yesterday and after just 10 minutes of trying to live like I do (and the balloon didn't hurt her, it was just in the way), she was so done and couldn't believe how frustrating it was.  Seriously.  The things we women do to carry on the race, just baffles my mind.  :) 

But I'm really glad I get to.  They are so stinking cute.  I am just really glad I waited until I met Tyson and we are married.  I don't know how people do it without a husband.

So yeah, I am just here waiting...trying to be grateful and not cranky.

I will post pics as soon as the kid decides he is ready.  :)