Challenges

When you have a baby, the craziness never seems to end.  Last Monday, for example, I was clipping Coops' fingernails and his entire pinky fingernail came off!  Needless to say, I freaked out.  But after being reassured by several pediatricians that it would grow back, I felt a little better about it.  He didn't seem to mind and the skin underneath was pretty rough, which means he probably injured his nail bed at some point and so all it needed was a little tug to come off.  And then tonight, we were giving him a bath and for the first time in the 5 months we have been using Selsun Blue conditioner, he got some in his eyes.  They were really red and he was crying, so I called the Poison Control Center.  They told us to pour water in his eyes for 15 minutes, which is basically waterboarding him, and if they're not better in an hour to take him to the ER.  After about 20 minutes, he was smiling at us again.  Then he ate and went to bed.  Back to normal Cooper!

Ophthalmology

Today, Cooper had his second ophthalmology.  This time we met with a neuro-ophthalmologist who also performs surgeries.  Physically, Cooper's eyes are fine.  But his slow development causes him to focus really hard on things, especially those that are far away, since as an infant he is slightly far-sided.  So, as with many other things right now, we are waiting for him to develop.  We'll meet again in June.  IF his eyes have gotten worse or stayed the same, he'll get prescribed little, tiny glasses.  The glasses will make it easier to focus on things so his eyes won't have to work as hard.  After he wears those glasses for a few months and there is STILL no improvement, then he'll have to have surgery.  So, in that worse case scenario, hopefully his surgery can be scheduled for the same day as the urologic surgery.  One dose of anesthesia is much better.

Spoiled? Nah!

Cooper had a great Easter.  He got four Easter Baskets:  two from us, one from school, and one from our neighbors.  Here they are:

He also got a present from us and both sets of grandparents.  But spoiled?  I don't think so.  I prefer "loved"!

Big Meeting

Today was the big meeting at Cooper's school.  We got the results of all of his evaluations: developmental, speech, occupational, and physical.  Basically, it was pretty much what we already knew.  Developmentally, Cooper is about a 2-3 month old.  So he has a LOOOONG way to go.  BUT, even since his developmental evaluation in February, he has changed and grown.  So, like I have said many times before (it's kinda becoming my mantra), it IS happening!  Just slowly.  The good thing is that now that we have had this meeting, he can finally begin all his therapies.  He will have three 45 minute sessions of speech therapy, three 45 minute occupational therapy sessions, and three 60 minute physical therapy sessions every week.  Considering how much time he spends napping and eating, that's a lot of time!!

In other news, Cooper visited the Easter Bunny today after school.  He was really tired, so there wasn't much smiling, but at least there wasn't any screaming!  Love the ears and his Little Bo Peep outfit!  More on Easter later...

Good things

I'm beginning to think my blog is kinda a downer.  On Monday, I had to fill out a parent survey on Cooper for his school.  One of the things they asked was what were the good things happening with Cooper.  I wanted to list some.  He has amazing head control.   His trunk control gets better all the time.  He is SO cute!  He smiles at me.  He is slowly becoming social and is smiling at other people.  He is a very easy-going baby.  He is an amazing sleeper.  He is starting to be a good eater; when you bring a spoon to his mouth, he opens his mouth.  He is getting bigger and longer.  He is progressing and changing and developing.  It may be slow, but it is happening.  He laughs.  He hates to have his feet tickled.  He LOVES his giraffe lovey.  His eyes are gorgeous and his eye lashes are so long it makes every girl that sees them jealous.  He loves baths and doesn't mind getting water dumped on his head and face.  I love him so much!

And in other, more personal news: I am finished pumping!  My life is no longer ruled by the pump!  I don't have to schedule my entire life around it!  I feel free!!!

Juke Joint

On Saturday, my little family and some friends of ours went over to Clarksdale for the Juke Joint Festival.  My mom and I hung out in the morning and had lunch with my dad at Oxbow, a new lunch place there.  I had tuna tacos with a Siracha aoli.  Amazing!  That afternoon, Brad, Matt, and Sarah joined us and we all walked to downtown to look at the art booths and to buy wrist bands for the evening festivities.  With a $10 wristband, you can get into every bar in Clarksdale.  Sarah and I bought beautiful hand painted picture frames to put pictures of our boys in.  For dinner, we all went across the street to the Denton's house and ate shrimp and BBQ.  Then we went out!  My parents fed Cooper at 10 and babysat for us!  It was nice to have a night when I didn't have to be a mom.  Brad says he has almost forgotten what I'm like in non-mom mode.  But I'm fun!  I remember!

The next day, we went to Abe's for lunch.  You can't come to Clarksdale only once and not go to Abe's.  Then we fed Coops and headed home!  It was a nice little break.

Other children

I do have a couple of other "children," Leffe and Sicily.  Sic is as happy and healthy as she can be.  A little clingy, but...  Leffe, like Cooper, has a thyroid issue and is on medication for it.  But because it was untreated for so long, she has a heart murmur now.  Of course.  When it rains, it pours, right?  So far, it's not too bad and the vet is just going to monitor it.  She has springtime allergies as well and is on Zyrtec.  But she LOVES medicine.  She knows the words and she gets so excited every morning and every night when she gets to take her medicines, because afterwards she gets a cookie.  Her favorite thing!