Cooper-man

I kinda didn't want to write this post.  I'm a little bit of a private person when it comes to things of a difficult nature, but this is still my journal.  Here it goes.

About a week after Oliver was born, Cooper was at his regular well-child check with our new pediatrician, Dr. Beauchaine.  LOVE HER!!  As I had written at that time, Cooper was in the first percentile for height.  When Dr. B. walked into the room and saw where he was on the scale, she didn't believe it.  She said, "I have to see that one for myself."

So she took Cooper out to check his height.  Yep, still short.

As a precaution she decided to have us go and check Cooper's thyroid.  At Cooper's age the thyroid effects his growth.

We took Cooper in to the hospital to get his blood drawn.  Stephen carried that boy to the phlebotomist and held him as they drew his blood.  I had mixed feelings about the whole thing.  I really wanted to be there for my little boy, but I hate needles.  Stephen made the decision for me.  He took Cooper back and told me to stay with Maycee and Oliver.

When they emerged from the back room Cooper wasn't even crying.  And he was holding two new toys.  Stephen said that he flinched and then watched the needle.

At that point in time the test results said that Cooper's thyroid was fine, but there were some red flags that they wanted to look at again in about four months.

We were called by our doctors office in the beginning of March to go and have his blood drawn again.  We went in to get more blood taken on Thursday night, March 13th.  Dr. B. was out of the office, so I was called by a nurse with the results on Friday morning.  I was told that his thyroid was abnormal and I needed to get him on medication immediately.

Honestly, I felt like I needed to panic, but I still felt calm.  It was the weirdest thing.  I tend to be a bit of a panic-er.  Ask anyone.  I picked up Cooper's medication that afternoon and learned from the pharmacist that we had to give Cooper pills.  On an empty stomach.  First thing in the morning.  And he couldn't eat or drink anything, except water, for 30 to 45 minutes after taking his pill.  We were just leaving to my parents' house for my sister's mission farewell.

Saturday morning Cooper popped that pill in his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed.

The next seven days, however, were a different story.  We learned that we could crush the pill and put it in a small spoonful of food.  But Cooper knew what I was doing every morning.  He didn't care what that pill was crushed in, he wasn't taking it.  He's stubborn like that.  Kinda like his mom.  After a week of me explaining every morning what was happening.  Then me having to sit on him to hold him down, pry open his mouth and force feed that thing to him, he just got it.  Every morning since, he pops that pill in his mouth, chews, swallows, then drinks water for 30 minutes until he can have his milk.

This past Wednesday, April 16th, we went in for Cooper's 2 year checkup.  Dr. B. said that we would go in to get his blood drawn again on April 28th and see how things were looking after being on the meds for about 6 weeks.  She also told me that they were also testing to see if he was allergic to gluten.

Again, in my head, I thought I should be alarmed, but I was still calm.

I really don't know what is going to happen, but I can honestly say that whatever it is, we will be able to handle it.

Is the quiet worth it?

When it's warm outside I let the kids go in the garage and play with their scooters.  With a vehicle missing it gives them plenty of room to scoot around and it gives me a little peace and quite for a moment.

Today I let them in the garage for their first go around this spring.  After a bit, I went out to check on them.

This is what I found.

I took a picture with my upset mommy face.  I didn't want to condone this behavior at all, buuuuut I had to take a picture for posterity sake.

This one is coming out on their first date.

You have been warned.

Also coming out when their firstborn child is 3.

P.S.  That is flour...

Kiddos first hike

Yesterday we went to Fort Boise to find a hike.  We starting the kids early.  Next year we'll do a 20 miler :).  It was pretty steep and Maycee and Cooper traversed the thing quite well.  I was really impressed.

Oliver was quite a trooper.  I didn't hear a peep out of him in the stroller and then found out that he sleep the whole way down.

Again, it was pretty steep.  The pictures don't even do it justice.

Here are our pretty flowers we found along the way.

Hoofing it on all fours.

 

Here's our camera taking pictures in 'vivid' format.  And vivid it is.

Family photo opp!

They are so cute.  They fight like cats and dogs, but they also get along like two peas in a pod.  ...I don't understand it either.

And there's our hike.

Park

Yesterday we started a new spring/summer/fall tradition.

Because it is most definitely not happening in the winter.

We met Stephen right after work and went to the local park, had a picnic, then ran wild with the kids.  It was SO much fun!  I love it when we take more time to do family things that are fun.

This is the park.  I love it!  The pad that is underneath the entire park is bouncy!  And the walkway is all the way around the thing.  Cooper's favorite thing to do is just run back and forth.  And back and forth.  And back and forth.  :)

Cooper loves the swings.  It is really difficult to get him off of them now.

I love this picture.  The sun was killing our eyes.  You can tell.  AND Maycee was totally driving on this ride.  I almost felt like I was going to get bucked off!  I couldn't controll it.  I think Maycee was enjoying being the driver for once.

I love warm weather.

Outside

The outdoors have come to us a lot sooner than in the years past.  At least outdoors with shorts and no jackets.

Cooper LOVES the sandbox.  I have also had a few occasions when sand has been thrown through my open window next to the sandbox.  Not super happy when that happened.

 
"CHEEEEEESE!"

Maycee and Cooper coloring.  They're being so good together!  Shortly after I took this picture Maycee threw her coloring book over the fence into our neighbors yard.  She was done coloring.

Conference Weekend

Stephen and I decided to go to the farm to entertain my parents.  Their house needed a little bit more noise.  Kory and Charisse also came to help with the noise level.

I am so sad that I didn't bring my camera to our first stop on the farm.  When we got to my parents, my dad was out running  the carryall.  We left Oliver at the house with my mom and took Cooper and Maycee on the motorcycles to go find Dad.  Cooper loved riding in the tractor with my dad.  He even got to drive for a little bit.  So sad for no pictures. :(

We had a TON of fun and ate a TON of food.  That was my fault.  Sorry guys!  I requested a 'Food-A-Palooza' for Conference weekend.

My parents decided to start a tradition with the grand kids.  Massive. Easter. Egg. Hunt.

Now all you other people won't miss it next year!  Krystal. Kelsey.  You need to come.  It's that good.

The kids did a lot better than I expected.  At least Cooper and Boston did better than I expected.  Maycee knew what was going on.  Since it was very cold and windy, we had our hunt at the shop.

This is how conference watching went.

Mom and Charisse are going to kill me for this one....just fyi I do have a private blog.

Boston and Cooper actually played really well this weekend.  It was fun to watch them jump on the tramp together.  Neither one of them have a good grasp on the concept of jumping.  But here they are playing with the doll house.  Stephen and Kory are both in favor of getting more boy toys.  Their sons are not supposed to play with girl toys. :)

And I made cake pops again.  Love these things!  This time I made them with red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.  Delish!  This is Cooper on the way home to Boise.  Maycee fell asleep about 10 minutes into the trip home.  Cooper enjoyed 2 cake pops since Maycee was not awake to enjoy hers.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the party weekend!