Ryan, Hayley, Cooper and Chloe

Who is the real Albert Pujols?

2012-03-04T23:37:00.007-07:00

Cooper has been bugging me for a haircut recently. Can you believe it? The kid loves to get his hair cut! As you may already know, his hero is Albert Pujols (formerly of the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals... now we're big Angels fans around here.) Anyway, Albert has a pretty simple hair style - none. After we shaved Cooper's head with the clippers, I asked him if he was ready to make it like Pujols and of course, he was in. We took the shaving cream and razor to it and the top of his dome was as slick and smooth as melted chocolate. He was so excited to show his mother because we did it without her knowledge! She's pretty easy going and ended up loving it! Cooper was anxious to show everyone and have them feel his new smoothness. We immediately had to go downstairs and play baseball. I think the haircut actually helped!

Speaking of baseball, Cooper was pretty proud of a baseball accomplishment last night. He became Roy Hobbs. If you ever saw the movie "The Natural", you will know that at the end Roy Hobbs hits a ball so hard it takes out the lights at the stadium. Well, Cooper did the same thing in our basement. He crushed a ball and shattered the light bulb all across the floor. He slowly ran the bases while dodging pieces of broken light bulb. Those compact fluorescents aren't cheap either. Man, I love that kid, but I'm taking it out of his salary.

Cooper is an animal at boxing!

2012-02-07T16:05:00.002-07:00

Our 3-year-old son remains the champion at Wii boxing and anyone who has dared compete against him gets beat the first round. The only 1 that can take him into the 2nd round is Chloe. He has the most pleasure in winning adults. I think it has to do with Cooper seeing their shocked faces when they don't know what hit them. All of sudden it's over. He does not even give them a chance. During half time of the Superbowl, Uncle Allen even tried to move his hands and arms just like Cooper. That did not work either. I think we are going to have to have a Cooper Wii boxing night for anyone who would like to try to beat our little champ. Cooper is ready to Wii box anyone at anytime! Bring it on!!!

March Madness

2011-03-16T15:02:00.005-06:00

No better time of year than when March Madness scoreboards come streaming into office computers everywhere. People of all ages and shapes are filling out their brackets - some with no knowledge on anything basketball other than vaguely remembering someone say something about a kid named Jimmer. Where else can you find Zips, Spiders, Gauchos and Commodores? There are Terriers, Bulldogs, Badgers, and Bison. That time of year when the flu bug hits many die hard sports fans that have to stay home from work and listen to Greg Gumbel and Jim Nantz's therapeutic voices. For those that do make it in to work, it's the two least productive days of the year: Round 1 and Round 2. We also hear endless commercials for a "Tradition Unlike Any Other." When it comes to winning the office pool - you would give it all up to see Belmont beat Duke or George Mason make it to the Final Four.

I love March Madness.

In doing my bracket research, I came across an article by Pat Forde from ESPN with his best case/worst case scenario for each team. BYU's was too clever not to share. Check this out:

BYU (3)

Best Case: The Jimmer goes from folk hero to superhero, averaging a Maravichian 44 points per game and carrying the Cougars to the Final Four. He scalds Wofford and Gonzaga in Denver, then it's off to New Orleans. He is led not into temptation by the omnipresent vices of the Big Easy, staying in his hotel room to read the Book of Mormon located in the end table. He leaves only to score by the bushel in the Superdome, willing BYU past Florida and Kansas State in a pair of 2010 tourney rematch games. Delirious BYU fans converge on the French Quarter looking for celebratory jello, only to find that the jello available on Bourbon Street is either ingested as a shot or wrestled in. Not their style. Cougars escape New Orleans without honor-code violations and lose honorably to Kansas in Houston. Despite losing Fredette and downgrading to the West Coast Conference, coach Dave Rose stays at the school. And Utah hires a stiff.

Worst Case: The loss of post player Brandon Davies comes home to roost with finality as BYU loses in the first round to Wofford. There is Noah-on-Noah crime in the paint, as Wofford's Dahlman dominates BYU's Hartsock. Worn out from carrying his team this far, The Jimmer shoots 9-for-30 and commits eight turnovers. Making matters worse, Fredette is seen ordering a triple latte at Starbucks later that night to drown his sorrows. That's a no-no in Provo, Utah, so BYU halts plans to put his jersey in the rafters. Rose realizes his ceiling at the school and skedaddles for the nearest good job -- which happens to be at archrival Utah.

Enjoy the madness!

Protesting

2011-02-24T22:02:00.004-07:00

So if you've been watching the news at all, it seems like the whole world has been caught up protesting: Egypt, Wisconsin, Libya, China, and a host of others. Well, we didn't want to be left out. Some neighbors coordinated a protest just down the road to fight a potential UDOT decision to build the West Davis Corridor through our neighborhood. It was our first official family protest. There were a couple of photographers there and Channel 5 was there taping the event.

We prepared by eating a good dinner, getting out the coats, hats, and gloves, and making our sign. Cooper proudly held the sign - for about 30 seconds.

We learned that protesting can be very tiring.

We hope UDOT will shoot the road way out west and not build it in our neighborhood. Sounds like it is shaping up to be quite a battle! You can read more here: Residents protest plan for West Davis Corridor

Sunday Afternoon

2011-02-20T21:03:00.002-07:00

It feels nice to have Sundays back. Here's what I did this afternoon:

1. Ate lunch.
2. Played Angry Birds while everyone else napped.
3. Watched Toy Story 3 with Cooper and Chloe.
4. Played with the kids.
5. Changed 3 dirty diapers.
6. Engaged in a spectacular game of ladleball (Cooper's upstairs version of baseball.)
7. Helped prepare Sunday dinner.
8. Ate Sunday dinner. (Yes, I ate 3 meals today!)
9. Relaxed. No visitors, no phone calls, just one of the most awesome family days ever!
10. Snuggled with Chloe. Played choo-choo with Cooper.
11. Watched our children play together.

I had forgotten how nice Sundays can be. Still missing Syracuse, but we're happy to begin this new chapter of our lives.

Family Pictures

2011-02-15T22:31:00.007-07:00

About 3 weeks ago we headed down to Trolley Square for some family photos. It had been a while since we did any. My co-worker, Stacy, recommended her friend Janelle to photograph us. We were very pleased with her work... and patience. All in all, the kids were great, but we were concerned that we wouldn't get any good photos. Cooper seemed to smile most when he wasn't in front of the camera and Chloe, if we weren't holding her down, seemed to run in every direction. We ended up with some fantastic shots! Below are some of our favorite images. Thanks, Janelle! (Courtesy of Janelle Rose Photography) www.janellerosephotography.com

WEEK 1 A.B.

2011-02-11T21:45:00.003-07:00

It's been almost one week. One week A.B. (After Bishop). I felt like a fish out of water for a few days but now feel like life is getting back to "normal". Being released was such a bittersweet experience. We love all the people in Syracuse and will miss our friends dearly. Thus, the resurrection of the Willoughby family blog. This time I will not attempt to make any promises that it will be updated regularly, but we have new family photos now, that we will be posting shortly. Please check back soon.

We'll miss you Jerry Sloan!

Our Babies!

2010-08-02T17:21:00.004-06:00

Our babies are growing up fast! Summer is almost over and although we've only been on one vacation together, the 4 of us and Ryan's busy time at work is from end of spring through all of summer to beginning of fall, we are happy and love our weekends with Ryan. Right now he's working 15+ hours a day and it's going to get worse before it gets better. Poor guy! Hang in there babe..it will get better soon. You are approaching the door of the downslide of this season.

Enjoy some updated photos, mostly of the kids. They should be organized from present time back to March.

Ryan is so much better at this blogging thing than I am. He'll be back to it soon.

The Haunting Key

2010-07-20T06:46:00.006-06:00

It has been awhile since our last posting. Sorry to the Willoughby fans. This post comes with much emotion. I kiss and hug my children more today than I did before. I hold them closer to me and cherish our moments together more than I did and I am more cautious with them than ever before. I was leaving a friend's house yesterday early afternoon and putting my kids back in the car. I had left a tiny crack in the passenger side window but didn't do my usual and habitual put the key in the ignition start the car and get the AC running because it's so hot. I first unlocked the doors with my single Honda key, buckled Cooper in and then snapped Chloe into position with her car seat. I tossed the key in the front passenger seat and shut the door. Horror hit my face! NO!!! The key has a feature of locking the doors after unlocking them with the key and it did just that! The next 10 minutes I never want to relive again, ever!

Panic Mode hit pretty hard. My good neighbor friend, Erika was there. I told her she could go and she replied that she was not leaving me. Thanks Erika! Where was the spare key? In my purse locked in the car. NOT GOOD! Internet was slow on my phone, but soon I was talking to Syracuse police. They were awesome. The lady told me she had two officers on their way. I watched my babies drip sweat and get red in the face, well Cooper was still his beautiful brown color. Cooper was cool and collected and just stared at me. Chloe started to cry and was looking at me with those "wanting mom" eyes and I couldn't do anything. My hands were tied. I couldn't get to my babies! Brother Steadman was awesome! He put all his energy into getting to that key on the front seat. He remained calm and focused on the task at hand. THANK YOU! After the hanger idea didn't work, Steadman the man used a long stick and pushed the unlock button. He beat the police to the punch. My babies (I should say our babies, sorry Ryan my love.) were sweating profusely and Chloe was pretty upset. My motherly instincts kicked in and I rushed to their aid. We went into the Steadman's home for some cooling off. AC never felt so good. The Syracuse police and medical team were awesome. I kissed my babies and held them close and said a silent prayer of thanks that they were okay.

Race for the Cure

2010-04-12T08:01:00.007-06:00

My work is participating as a group for the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure May 8 in Salt Lake City. Why would I post this announcement you ask? Because, like everything else at work, this has taken on a competitive spirit. The department that signs up the highest ratio of people gets lunch, dress down days and the losing department has to wash their cars. I don't care about the dress down days, but free lunch is always nice. Mostly, I don't want to wash cars. The advertising department has 4 people. What if we lose to sales or customer care? They have tons of people!

So, I am soliciting your help. Don't do it for me, do it for the cause. I am (mostly) excited to participate since my aunt has struggled recently with her cancer and is recovering. My mother in law also has battled it. I think all of us know someone - or will know someone - that has been touched by breast cancer.

I invite you to sign up and participate in the 5K run/walk. I think there is also a 1K walk for those less energetic. Or, there is the donate-and-sleep-in option. It does cost $30.

Hey, if Chloe can do this, you can!

Here's how you register:

1. Follow this link: http://www.komenslc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=501

2. Click on Register Now!

3. Enter in your personal information and then click continue to the next page.

4. On this page you will be prompted to select your participant type, your fundraising goal, and then your role. Under role you will need to select Join a Team. From there you will be able to select Maggie Sottero under the corporate section. Please note that in order for me to get credit for this event, you and whomever you sign up will need to join the Maggie Sottero team.

5. Once you have selected Maggie Sottero as your team, please continue on to the next step and follow the prompts.

If you want to pass this on to anyone else that might be interested, please do. Email me back (ryanwll@yahoo.com) so I know who is signing up for our department.

Do it. You don't want to see this:

Thanks in advance for your support!

Big Boy Bed Update

2010-04-12T07:43:00.003-06:00

I don't know what all the fuss was about with the toddler bed. Cooper has really taken to it and has slept through the night for the most part. A surprise and a relief. That first morning when he opened his door and wandered downstairs was really cute. Our little son is sure growing up!

One thing we didn't consider too much was nap time. The routine was to put him in his crib with a cup of milk and let him fall asleep. Well, we tried the next day to do the same thing, but he was enjoying his new-found freedom. I thought maybe we'll just shut the door and he'll get the same idea. I went up about 15 minutes later and he had pulled out every wipe from his container and stacked them in a big pile on the chair. Looking back it is even more funny! After cleaning up the wipes, I put him back down and closed the door again. Not long after that, I checked on him again and he had pulled all the tissues out of the box and was in the process of tearing each one in pieces. At that point we decided it wasn't nap time. Now he naps all over the house when we can get him to sit still for a few minutes.

Last night was pretty classic. Hayley put him down about 8:45 - normal time - but he was not ready for bed. He was up pretty quick wandering around his room. After his struggle I went to see if he was in his bed or laying on the floor somewhere. I went to open the door but it wouldn't open. He had fallen asleep with his face right against the door! After trying to push the door open a bit with no success, I put my hand under the door, felt his face and tried to wake him up. Unfortunately he was so tired that he wasn't waking up easy. Finally he shifted his face away from the door and I just pushed it open far enough to get my arm in and move him a bit. He finally rolled over and I was able to shimmy through the door and get him in bed. About 4 this morning I heard him again and the same thing happened! What is the fascination with the crack under the door?

What a funny kid.

The BIG transition

2010-04-02T22:36:00.006-06:00

We should be in bed right now. Tonight promises to be exciting. You see, this evening we transformed Cooper's crib into a toddler bed.

The main reason we decided to do it now is because he usually ends up sideways in his crib and gets his leg stuck or bangs his head on the bars. It was so cute, when I was taking his crib apart and making it a bed, he went downstairs and got his tools and brought them up so he could help. I barely started to get the sheets on before he was jumping on his new bed with a huge smile.

His crib was our last stand. Our only defense. If we needed him to be confined - it was always the crib. Time out was the crib. We knew when he woke up we could leave him there for a few minutes before we went to get him. Those days are over and our little son is growing up.

So, he was pretty wired during all the construction and excitement of the night that we wondered how this would ever turn out. To our surprise (so far) he has stayed in bed. At first we heard him up walking around his room for a few minutes. I thought the true test would be if he had the thought to get himself into bed ON HIS OWN and go to sleep. He never made a sound and after about 30 minutes, we had to check on him. This is what we found:

The flash makes it look light in there, but you will see why we are so proud of Cooper. Maybe he'll get this new bed thing figured out pretty quick. Obviously, we need to work on the pillow... We anticipate a struggle at some point tonight, but we are always grateful when the sun is down and both children are sleeping. (As I typed that, I just heard Chloe...)

Below are a few extra fun photos we have taken lately. You will especially like the ones of Chloe's blessing - wearing a custom made dress by Hayley's mom.

There Is Beauty All Around When There's Love At Home

2010-02-06T11:20:00.002-07:00

After holding Chloe and having mom or dad take her back, Cooper would sign "baby" and "more". He loves his little sister so much! Sometimes she would cry while he held her and Cooper would just be calm and peaceful giving her more "loves". Maybe we need to take a parenting lesson from him! Him holding his sister gave us one of those priceless moments.

The Stats Are In

2010-02-05T14:16:00.006-07:00

Hayley took the kids (that's kind of fun to say!) to their well check up appointments yesterday with the help of her mother. Apparently Cooper and Chloe are doing so well for which we are very grateful. Those of you with children probably know the feeling of being able to weather the illness storm and it feels good when you emerge. I hope we have. Since I'm kind of a numbers kind of a guy, I thought I would share where the babies are in physical measurements. You'll see why it's noteworthy.

Chloe is just 2 weeks old and has almost gained one pound and has grown over half an inch. (Of course, we know the height measurement is subject to human error.) She appears to be about 60th percentile in length and right at 50 for weight and checks in at a hefty 7 lbs. 14 oz.

Cooper on the other hand.... His charts are always interesting. His growth is amazing! We knew he would be taller than most children his age, but as of yesterday, he is 35.7 inches tall! That means it's almost time to move up the basketball hoop to another level. Since there is no zero or 100th percentile line, I can only guess. But he is so far above the 95th line it's scary! And, it keeps increasing. His weight is just over 30 lbs., or just above 90th percentile.

I don't want to put a lot of stock in this whole weight and length percentile thing and it certainly is not to mean "my kid is taller than your kid", but it is so interesting to see just how fast children grow. It's obvious he can reach things that he didn't before, the back seat of the truck isn't big enough for him now, and many of his 2T and some 3T clothes aren't fitting anymore. It's great that he is experiencing new things every day, but I am also sad that he's growing up so fast!

Today Cooper held his little sister for the first time. It's taken a couple of weeks because he's had a runny nose. He sure loved being with Chloe. He gave her lots of hugs and kisses but Chloe also was caught kissing Cooper! It was the cutest thing ever.

Ry and Hay plus 8 (minus 6)

2010-01-30T20:54:00.004-07:00

Well, life with little Chloe around sure has been great. We are so fortunate to have her. She is now 10 days old and seems to be growing right before our eyes. This video is totally her. She has such beautiful eyes and features. Most people comment on her strawberry-blonde hair that right now is very spiked. Like most babies, she has slept a lot but just seems to be so peaceful. I don't think she has cried much at all. And most of all, she is already sleeping 4 hours at a time during the night. Hayley must be a master at working the schedule. Cooper was the same way.

We never thought two children would be so difficult! That probably isn't really a fair statement since all this week both have been sick - especially Cooper. He has another ear infection and Chloe has conjunctivitis. Sad that they're sick, but at least they're treatable and both are doing much better. Cooper sure loves his little sister. The first couple of days he was not so sure of the whole thing, but he has really warmed up to her. Constantly he is looking for her and wants to touch her hair, give her "loves" and it's so cute when he drags her pink blanket around wanting to cover her with it. I have a feeling he will be a great big brother. There were two nights last week where, in the wee hours of the morning, Hayley was rocking with Chloe and I was trying to comfort Cooper during a sleepless night. Sleep, as it turns out, is the number one asset to new parents. Newsflash, I know.... It's also funny that if we go somewhere, the four of us, we have to haul so much stuff around. We have two diaper bags and a car seat and it takes us about 2 hours to prepare to go anywhere. Crazy!

Hayley is recovering rather nicely. She is moving around much better and each day seems to be a bit more active. It's so good to see her with Chloe. She is a natural mother and is so calming and comforting to both children. Hayley always says "I love my boys" when Cooper and I are together. It's fun for me to now say "I love my girls". Being home for two weeks has been a great blessing, but I must also say that going back to work will be quite the break for me!

We are so grateful to all of our friends and family for their prayers. Within minutes of Chloe's birth, we were receiving emails and text messages offering congratulations. We both very much look forward to our lives raising these two special children. Someone has said that we now have two miracle babies. We have much to be grateful for.

Presenting Chloe

2010-01-20T21:43:00.002-07:00

Chloe Grace Willoughby was born today, January 20, 2010 at 2:12 pm. She weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz. And was 19 inches tall. Mom and baby are doing well. Hayley received a Cervidil at 8:30 pm last night. Heavy contractions commenced an hour later and went on through the night. At 8:30 am today, her dilation was reported at 1 to 2 cm. - very disappointing after all that. Her water was broke by the doctor and then the real contractions started. Five long hours later, the nurse tech started getting set up for the baby to be born. This was all the incentive Hayley needed to finish labor. She was able to reach her goal of delivering without the use of drugs. She was absolutely amazing and so was seeing our daughter for the first time. She has large amounts of strawberry blonde hair and is just so cute!

More info and photos to be posted tomorrow. A huge thanks goes out to the amazing nurses Nichole and Jamie, and Dr. Boheen. Most of all, Shantel prepared Hayley and nurse Michelle - what can we say? You were the best. What would we ever have done without you? We couldn't have done it without all of them.

I am tired. Goodnight.

Still Waiting....

2010-01-16T22:06:00.004-07:00

I sure admire Hayley's patience. She is now exactly 40 weeks and 3 days along in the pregnancy. I would be lying if I said we weren't anxious at all, but really do think she is an amazing woman. Lately she has been walking (or elliptical) 3-4 miles a day, cleaning the house like a mad-woman, grocery shopping, playing the Wii, and is staying as active now as at any time during the pregnancy. Just tonight, Hayley was playing a new game at my sister's house called Just Dance. She rocked it! It's a follow-the-leader type dance off on the Wii and I couldn't believe how quick she moved! They brought out the tub of hot water and extra towels just in case the baby came right then during the dance. (Not really.) I have proof, though. Have you ever seen anyone 10 months pregnant move like this?

For those still wondering, Hayley goes in to the doctor again on Tuesday. If there is still little or no progress, Wednesday the process will be started. We have waited to allow the baby to come when she's ready, but for some reason, she must be very comfortable in there! Perhaps the next blog entry will be the birth of little Chloe.

Please vote in the poll on the left to weigh in when the baby will be born!

Winter Fun + A Couple of Extras

2010-01-02T17:18:00.008-07:00

First, a couple of fun extra photos.

Last Sunday Cooper and I were twins.

He's really liking his new chair from Grandma and Grandpa. It's great for watching Signing Time. But even better than sitting in it is taking the cushion off and jumping on it!

This outfit reminds me of something my sister Shannon would wear. This was his first time wearing boots.

He had to break in his new boots so he could spend some time outside in the snow today! He had gifts of boots, hat and gloves. My sister Brooke had some used snow pants for Cooper. The weather was perfect to play in the yard. Sunshine and blue sky. Hayley has missed being outside and going for walks. Our bad air during the winter here is not pleasant. Here are a bunch of really cute pictures of Cooper today.

Showing off his new snow shovel.

Does Cooper remind you of anyone? Test your knowledge of this photo with the poll on the left.

He was a huge help clearing the walks.

Does Hayley even look 9 months pregnant? She is amazing.

One of his many "I've fallen and I can't get up" moments.

He still loves the slippery slide and swing!

We taught him the first rule of winter: Don't eat the yellow snow. But, it tasted pretty good. Kind of like ice.

King of the hill!

We made a small slide for him. I guess it's not much fun when you slide down but can't get back up.

Cooper's first SNOW ANGEL!

After playing in the backyard, we went for about a 30 minute walk. It didn't bring on the labor... yet.....

I've Been Replaced

2009-12-29T07:52:00.003-07:00

To Hayley's dismay, I was thrilled that Cooper's first word was "dada". I was particularly proud of the fact. Soon everything was named after me. Even his mom. He may not have even known that it had reference to his father, but I was still proud.

Recently, he has forgotten that first word and has replaced it with the feminine parental version "mama". Strangely, despite any of my pleading for a return of dada, I am now mama. Mama is mama, dad is mama. But nothing else is mama. Just mom and dad. It's fairly embarrassing in public to have your son come up to you and say "mama". Furthermore, he now can say "Nana" (Hayley's mother) and "grandpa". I have been replaced. It was a nice ride.

And, for those Ute fans out there: Nice going Utes! Despite the fact that Max Hall hates all of us....

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T14:09:00.015-07:00

Sorry, this is a long post so bear with me...

Our Christmas celebrations started Wednesday night with a family party. There was dinner, gift exchange.... ping pong ball eating, and foosball!!

Christmas Eve was spent at his Grandma and Grandpa Young's home. There was a very nice program with story telling and music with bells. Cooper really liked ringing his blue bell.

Yesterday was an awesome day! Cooper had such a great time but probably didn't realize what was happening. He's still too young to understand what Christmas is all about. He woke up at his usual time, about 7:30. We were a lot more anxious than he was for sure. After a quick diaper and wardrobe change, we made our way downstairs to see what Santa brought. To his delight, there was a new kitchen in our basement.

He recognized it right away because Grandma and Grandpa have one just like it. Without really showing a lot of excitement, he ran to it and methodically started in on his cooking and phone calling.

It was so cute! Santa also brought him two packages of food. Everything from potato chips to bottled water - it was quite the variety pack.

We knew opening any other presents after the "big gift" would be difficult. It was obvious he was quite busy with his new toys that he didn't want to be disturbed. However, Santa had also dropped off two more presents. Unlike last Christmas, Cooper did tear some paper off and for a few minutes seemed to know how to unwrap a gift. Here are Cooper's steps to opening presents:

1. Tear some paper - preferrably the more pieces of paper, the better.
2. Climb on the present for greater paper-tearing strength.
3. Sit on your conquest. By the time you get the paper off, that's all the fun!

Santa brought him a new set of tools so he can help dad with projects around the house. They actually are pretty cool! He also received an alphabet-learning caterpillar.

Grandma and Grandpa Young came over for Christmas breakfast with Great-Grandpa Patterson. Hayley made pancakes, hash browns, bacon and eggs. Mmmmmm... delicious! While she was cooking, we put in one of Cooper's new Signing Time videos about sports. He quietly watched while sitting on Grandpa's lap.

Grandma and Grandpa Willoughby stopped by and brought more presents. He opened snow gear, including a snow shovel, puzzles, a puppy towel and a new chair! (note the crinkle fry in his mouth - he just finished cooking a whole batch!)

Christmas night we went to another family party. Cooper (at least for a few seconds) participated in the "jingle bell choir" with his cousins.

What a day! He totally crashed as soon as we got home and is still trying to recover from all the present opening and running around trying to play with all of his new toys.

Like last year, there was also some enjoyment in the torn wrapping paper, wrinkled bows and toy packaging.

We had a great Christmas. We hoped that our family size would stay at 3 until after the holiday, so that was a success. But Hayley thinks it might be close! Stay tuned. Weekly visits to the doctor, more frequent contractions and major uncomfortable-ness all point to... something is getting close. The due date is January 14 which is less than 3 weeks away. Holy smokes! We have work to do! We still have bags to pack, rooms to finish, bills to pay, still have to feed the hogs....

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family. If your Christmas was half as exciting as Cooper's, it was pretty amazing!

The Christmas Spirit

2009-12-23T10:07:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas to all of our neighbors and friends.

Watch this video:
The Christmas Spirit

Go Cougs

2009-12-23T07:20:00.003-07:00

There are enough fanatics around that I don't usually feel the need to involve myself in all the BYU/Utah battles. I like both teams and am happy when they both win. But I am happy BYU played so well last night winning the Las Vegas Bowl. Mountain West 2, opponents 0. Go Utes!

This Morning's News

2009-12-22T09:29:00.004-07:00

The Monkey Costume

2009-11-12T21:45:00.004-07:00

There's our little monkey dressed up on Halloween! This is for all my co-workers who for two weeks had to use their imagination on how cute he really was! More updates to come...

In the DOG HOUSE

2009-09-12T23:33:00.009-06:00

So I am officially in the Dog House. See, I thought it would be fun to give Cooper a hair cut today. We have both been talking about it for a while. The poor kid just sweats when he gets in the heat. We went to the baseball game on Labor Day and within minutes of sitting in our hot, sunny seats along the third base side, he was dripping from his head. Where I went wrong, it seems, is the lack of thought that went into the attachment on the hair trimmer. For some reason I sought out a #1. Well, I started to shave off his curly locks one stroke at a time. Hayley did not seem pleased. Her thoughts are focused on the family pictures scheduled for this Friday and now Cooper looks totally different! I think it makes him look older and Hayley thinks he looks younger now.

Here's the happy boy! (pre-haircut)

Hair gone.... at least he's happy, Mom! (Mom trying to fix it...)

Cooper checking out the remains scattered on the kitchen floor.

He was off and running so here's a good shot of it.

Doesn't he look so handsome today, though?

Well, for the record, I am not really in the dog house. Hayley is not upset - I think it's impossible for her! She simply wishes she had a chance to comment on the style of the haircut before the trimmers touched any hair. I love my wife! Cooper looks great, though. He was outside several times and seemed to enjoy the coolness that was the top of his head.

This experience has reminded me of one of the funniest things I have seen. You have to check out this dog house JC Penney ad on You Tube. Here is the link: JC Penney Dog House All you dudes out there... stay out of the dog house - a place from which there is no escape.

Michael Jordan didn't have any hair. At least most of the time.

Adoption Party

2009-08-28T23:05:00.004-06:00

We went to a fun party for Heart And Soul Adoptions tonight. We saw a few old friends and made several new ones. It is really nice to get together with families that know what adoption is all about and appreciate the struggles and the joys. They have it once a year and it really is a fun time! Interestingly, we ran into a couple we have a lot in common with. They adopted a baby boy and then got pregnant with a girl just 6 months later. For us, it was about 8 months later. Another couple adopted little boys just 7 days apart and one of Hayley's old school friends had adopted girls 3 months apart. You just never know what you'll find at a party like that.

Cooper had a ball. He just loves other children. He'll want to stare at them, poke them and sometimes hug and kiss! There were a few kids that he was playing with tonight: Carter, Conner and Cassie. Here are a few pictures of him playing in the big blow-up bouncer. He was so cute!

We also ran into Laura from the adoption agency. It was her truck where Cooper first entered this world. We just couldn't pass up a photo op with her and her truck.

Brain Freeze!

2009-08-22T22:04:00.011-06:00

After a hot day Friday and a long day of playing for Cooper, we decided to go up to Baskin Robbins for a little treat. The two mile drive was enough to put little Cooper right to sleep. We didn't let that dampen our desire for a delicious frozen confection. We
sat down to eat our ice cream, Hayley got 2 kinds of chocolate flavored stuff and I chose the strawberry. Cooper must have sensed our satisfaction and quickly woke up to join the fun. We ordered him a rainbow sherbet and he loved it.

As many of you know Hayley is teaching Cooper sign language and he is picking up on it quite well. He knows things like "owie" - where you put your two index fingers together - among other things. Being a first time parent, I didn't see any reason why Cooper couldn't eat ice cream at the same rapid pace as me so I fed him his sherbet rather quickly. About half way through the cup, he got a funny look on his face. He put his index fingers together and then patted his head a few times. Hayley and I looked at each other and said "brain freeze!" at the same time.

It was really cute. At his age I probably would have cried the rest of the night. After a few seconds of recovery, he was wanting more. It was really cute and we laughed out loud right there in the store.

Below are a few new pictures of Cooper and Hayley.

Doesn't Hayley just look so cute? Little baby girl Willoughby is just over 19 weeks old! Halfway there, babe. Hang in there.

Cooper's had a bit of a runny nose lately. Not sure if it's a cold, teething or allergy related. He hasn't shown any other signs of being sick. This was the face we woke up to a few days ago. At least he's still smiling!

He's all smiles practicing his driving skills in the driveway. Mostly he was trying to find hip-hop on the radio.

Cooper came out to help with the yard work today. It was morning but still very hot. He started with no shirt but really started to sweat a lot. Hayley took off his pants and then it was just cute watching him run around with just his diaper playing the dirt and grass.

After Cooper helped with the dirt, he was able to cool off with some great sprinkler running. He just loves that sort of thing and had a great time.

Just a really cute picture for good measure.

THINKING PINK NOW!

2009-08-07T12:23:00.004-06:00

WAHOO! We found out yesterday we are having a girl! We couldn't be more thrilled and quite surprised actually! I really thought it would be a boy after all the dominating boys on both sides of our families. We couldn't be more happy with our news! Coops has had an opportunity to be around a few babies lately and he is learning to be soft and gentle with them. He's doing pretty good. Hopefully he'll be ready when his baby sister arrives in January!

Cooper can now go up and down the stairs with a little help at the top of the stairs to go down them and he is now initiating his sign language like, Mom I want a banana or Mom, I miss daddy or Let's play ball or let's read a book. It's pretty awesome!

Just a sweet story about Cooper last week. Ryan was having a late night at work and Cooper went to the door that exits to the garage and signed Daddy and home and then had a very sad facial expression. I coudn't help but get a tear in my eye. We called daddy immediately and Daddy got a little emotional, too. It was one of those moments parents cherish and we will never forget. Love you son!

COOP'S 1st BIRTHDAY PARTY!

2009-07-16T17:30:00.008-06:00

We are happy to report that Cooper's 1st birthday party with the family was a big success and everyone walked away with little or no injury. In the a.m. we met over at South Ogden's Nature Park (becoming quite the hot spot - a fun place for free). Then Ryan's parents were gracious enough to let us have the remaining pizza, cake, presents and pinata events at their home. Cooper had so much fun with the family, especially with his cousins at the splash pad and then smacking the pinata and playing ball. As you can tell from the pictures he loves the water! He's a water baby all the way!

The sun didn't come out the whole time, but that didn't stop the kids, especially Cooper. Dad was a mad man heading in full speed!

Grandpa Dew is rubbing the motion detector for the water to come on full force.

Everyone gathered around for Cooper to open presents. The family were very generous with gifts of love. THANKS FAMILY!

Andrew and Cooper playing ball. If you look closely you can almost see Cooper palming the ball.

Pinata batting time!

Daddy and Cooper playing with his new toys.

12 Months of Happy

2009-07-08T23:25:00.004-06:00

Cooper started blessing our lives at 6:20 am, July 9, 2008. He entered this world in the back of a Dodge pickup truck.
The pictures tell the story. Cooper has been as sweet, fun and happy a boy we could ever ask for. We thank his birth mom for her love and her gift to us. We'll be thinking of you today, especially if we see a truck driving southbound on I-15! Thank you to all who have been a positive influence in Cooper's life. And, Cooper, we hope you know just how much we love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!

Breaking News

2009-07-02T21:06:00.008-06:00

Many of you may know that we are expecting! If you didn't know, we have an announcement! We're expecting! Hayley is 3 months along as of today. Our last visit to the doctor was interesting. As he did the first ultrasound, he mentioned that it might be twins. He pointed out two round things and two flashing things (heartbeats). Talk about dropping a bomb. We had a lot of crazy thoughts following that visit. More than likely they would be born in December which would make Cooper 17 months old. Can you imagine? In a year and a half going from no children to three. We would have to invest in more furniture, a bigger vehicle and buy stock in Pampers. A lot of people wondered how Hayley would get along with the three little ones in church... by herself. So here is the first ultrasound picture. What do you think?

We went to the doctor again today for the 12-week checkup. We were nervous and excited. Remember it was only 4 months ago we were working through the miscarriage. We didn't have any real reason to be concerned other than experience. I was stuck in Kaysville traffic so Hayley started without me. The doctor was very nice, despite my tardiness, to allow me to still hear the heartbeat! That was so amazing. We then went into the ultrasound room and right away he confirmed it was one baby. We had mixed feelings. Despite the struggle it would have been to have twins, we are so very grateful for a healthy and strong baby that is just perfect according to the doctor. In fact, during the ultrasound, "it" was moving "it's" legs and arms and jumping around. Maybe the baby is just trying to be active like big brother!

So there's the news. We are not having twins but we are so grateful to make it this far and have everything go well. Here is the ultrasound picture from today. The baby is around 4 cm long and is just the right size.

If you look carefully you can see legs, arms and a big head. The doctor showed us the umbilical cord and how it was pulsating like a heartbeat and said that's how we may have been confused seeing two moving things last time.

To make a personal observation, what is with the ultrasound? You have to have a pretty keen eye to have any idea what you're looking at on screen. I am pretty much completely oblivious to what I'm looking at until he points out a head or an arm. I guess that's why they go to eight years of medical school!

In other happenings, we went to the zoo last Friday. I was grateful for a day off and we made the most of it. Hayley packed a lunch and we ate it with Brigham Young at the This Is The Place monument. The zoo was awesome! It had been a long time for either of us and, of course, it was Cooper's first time. He was about to fall asleep when we first got there but the monkeys woke him up. His favorite animals were the monkeys, elephants and giraffes. The weather was perfect for us.

Cooper was our official zoo navigator. We always saw what he wanted to see....

Cooper has been able to spend some time at the South Ogden Nature Park splash pad lately. He loves it and enjoys the water spraying all over him.

He enjoys his hair on the floor after his second haircut. Hayley finally allowed the buzz.

A very cute boy. Before the haircut.

Mad Dash

2009-06-01T17:07:00.008-06:00

People sometimes say to us "one of these days, Cooper will just get up and run." We used to think this is just what people say when children are first learning to walk. Well, true or not, Cooper's day was yesterday. He has been walking unassisted for a couple of weeks now and each day he seems to get a little more daring and takes more risks. Yesterday he just started walking. He walked all the way across our family room without any help from a person or thing and did it rather quick and confidently.

Here is the video of Cooper's "mad Dash."

Speaking of dash, he is all of a sudden reminding us of Dash from The Incredibles!

This little guy is doing just about everything now. He can walk, crawl and stand up on his own. One of the more recent developments is him trying to go up stairs. Tonight he made it up to the first stair on his own before we noticed.

In a week he will be 11 months old and we're looking forward to his 1-year birthday!

May photos

2009-05-20T12:55:00.006-06:00

Cooper was out for the count at the end of Scott's wedding night (Ryan's brother). Grandma did the honors of holding him until we left.

Me and the boys!

Ryan, you look amazing in your tux. May I have this dance? Love you!!!

Well, it's official

2009-05-16T17:02:00.004-06:00

As you can see, Cooper is now walking. Look out world, here he comes!

In other happenings, we put him in his swing outside while we did a little yard work today. I guess he was more tired than we thought. He fell asleep in the swing with the mower and trimmer going. What a trooper!

Now that's good television

2009-05-14T20:49:00.005-06:00

No, I am not referring to American Idol or The Biggest Loser, but the video below of Cooper! Hey, who needs real television when you have this kind of entertainment walking all over the house! (Pardon the runny nose, Cooper has been getting over his cold. After he gave it to his dad, of course. Thanks, bud!)

Cooper is such a fast walker. He'll grab onto everything and just walk around it. His new thing is to hold on to our pant legs and walk with us where we go. For the record, Sunday, May 10 - on Mother's Day (yea!) - Cooper took his first step unassisted. There have been reports that he has taken a step or two since then, though I have not witnessed it personally. No doubt, it will not be long.

So does anyone know how to childproof a house? Just kidding, but seriously, we have our house plants all up on tables, we have to protect our Ensign's, he is constantly into his bottle and Tupperware drawer and he leaves a wake of toys, house parts and torn paper where ever he goes. It's cute! We're investing in two stair gates. We didn't think about that when we bought this place. We also didn't think about this nice corner lot with lots of SIDEWALK! Snow shoveling 200 feet of sidewalk is not fun. Thank goodness there have been a couple of good samaritans that have taken on that challenge.

Back to important things. For Cooper's 10-month birthday, we bought him some toy sports balls in the form of a basketball, football, baseball and soccer ball. So far he has not taken to any of them, but it will be interesting to see what his interest will be - if at all - in that category.

And can I just say how grateful we are to my sister Brooke for her generosity? Between her and Shannon, we have been very well stocked in Cooper's clothes. Thank you thank you thank you!!! But, not only do we have lots of cute clothes for him, she also gave us her swingset. We picked it up and threw it in as another birthday present for Coop. He was greatly spoiled. Here are some pictures of it. He loves to swing! The slide is still a little scary, but he did go down all by himself.

10 months already?

2009-05-08T20:52:00.004-06:00

Cooper turns 10 months old tomorrow! Wow, what a ride. We are so grateful for him and his amazing personality. We wouldn't be as happy if it wasn't for his birth mother. On Mother's Day weekend, we cannot thank you enough. You have given us a most precious gift.

We went through some of our favorite pictures over the last 10 months and put them in the slideshow above for your viewing enjoyment.... and for me to get my Cooper fix while at work! They should be in chronological order, too.

On his 10-month birthday, we thought we could list some of Cooper's top 10 favorite.... and least favorite.... things.

Cooper's favorites:
1. Bathtime
2. Hayley's centerpiece decor "balls"
3. Stage 2 foods, especially squash, sweet potatoes and mango
4. Peek-a-boo, playing the piano and other interactive games
5. Kissing himself in the mirror
6. Greeting daddy when he comes home from work
7. Spending time with cousins and friends
8. Reading "I Love You Through and Through" (thanks, Barnett's!)
9. Electrical outlets, computer wires and ceiling fans
10. Being sung to before bed

One more.... Cooper loves to pee as soon as his diaper comes off!

Cooper's least favorites:
1. Washing hair
2. Wearing shoes and hats
3. Wiping his nose and face
4. Waiting for food
5. Watching TV
6. Stage 3 foods... yuck- spaghetti and salmon with unidentified objects!
7. Crawling and being on his stomach
8. Being confined to a small space
9. Car rides more than an hour
10. Lack of attention, especially the CENTER of attention

Happy birthday dude! We love you so much.

Mini Corn Dogs (Really?)

2009-04-30T21:52:00.003-06:00

This is the long version of a short story. Another chapter in the life of eating gluten free!

Warning: You may not want to try this at home.

So a couple of nights ago my sweet wife planned a beautiful menu that would include mini corn dogs carrot sticks and salad. Sounds pretty good, right? I mean, who doesn't love a corn dog once in a while? Everyone likes corn dogs! Well, there is always the little problem of making things gluten free. Hayley found a recipe and made the dough from scratch. She meticulously rolled the dough to 1/8" thickness. We just so happen to have a giant tub of cookie cutter shapes, which when she found the circle, it made it easy to cut the dough into nice, even pieces to wrap around the wieners.

When it came time to source the hot dogs, it was sadly discovered that there were only 4. Surely we had a package of Ball Park franks around somewhere, but after much searching through freezer space, nothing else presented itself. As it was clear there was much more dough than dogs, perhaps a package of bacon would work the same way. Heck, they're both from pigs, right? She continued to prepare the meal with that solution in mind.

Cooper was happily playing in his high chair watching the meal come together. I began to pitch in by setting the table. It was then that I made a most grisly discovery. We had no ketchup. "How", I asked, "can we possibly eat corn dogs without ketchup?" I thought it was pretty unAmerican. Despite my bewilderment, the meal proceeded. The corn dog dough required additional milk, butter and Pam to allow it to almost stick together. (One of the great things about gluten is it holds things together. Stay tuned...)

The main course made it into the oven and after an unsuccessful attempt to locate a bottle of mustard, we decided that we could use BBQ sauce to dip. We sat down to eat the mini corn dogs while the mini corn bacons (?) were in the oven. We were both interested in the final product.

Our first look at these mini corn dog beauties.

After the blessing, we both started in. One bite and the whole thing fell apart. You were left holding a half a bite of hot dog while the breading fell scattered down to the plate. Hayley immediately laughed about the mini corn dogs. By the way, I am so glad she had a sense of humor about it... thus the pictures! Due to my severe hunger, the carrot sticks were rapidly consumed. The corn dogs slowly made it in.

The scattered remains of what was such a promising dinner.

As we were "eating", Cooper was just being such a good boy completely unaware of what was so funny. He was having fun playing with some of the cookie cutters.

Well, Hayley was not impressed with the mini corn dogs so she hoped the bacon dogs would be better. When those were coming out of the oven, I was anxious to taste them! The bacon had not quite fully cooked and was a bit soft and tough. And the breading crumbled and fell apart upon touch.

The mini corn bacons.

Delicious.

So the highlight of the meal was when Cooper, with perfect timing, pulled out this cookie cutter shaped like a hat. I couldn't resist but to hold that over our heads, lovingly look at Hayley, and say "We're thinking Arby's!" We all had a good laugh over it. We didn't actually go to Arby's, but we did think about it.

"I know they have ketchup at Arby's!"

The nice thing is we were able to cook up the rest of the bacon and use it for a yummy chicken and bacon salad the next night.

Not a total loss.

After Hayley asked me about keeping the recipe, she noticed the look on my face and quietly got up from the table, folded the paper in half and gently placed it in the waste basket. We thought about a ceremonial recipe burning but decided to let it lie in peace hoping it never graces our dinner table again.

I sure love my wife and want her to know how grateful I am for her. It is a challenge to eat gluten free and I always eat what she makes and almost always enjoy it. She really does a fantastic job considering what she has (or doesn't have) to work with. Thanks, babe for taking such good care of me. It's good we have moments like this so we can more appreciate all the great meals you have made!

St. George Trip

2009-04-21T22:13:00.008-06:00

St. George was a relaxing trip. Other than having a hard time falling asleep in his new car seat for the long drive, Cooper was a CHAMP! We have awesome friends that live in St. George and it's become a tradition to stay with them every year. We played sand volleyball with their friends at a really cool park nearby, played tennis, ate out and in and walked on relaxing strolls around the neighborhood. They live in a beautiful place with palm trees and a golf course in their backyard. Thanks so much Jealin and Jeremy - your hospitality was amazing! We love you. Here's some pics of Cooper and a couple family pictures. I'm sorry to say we didn't get pictures of our friends except for their cute boy, Beck with Cooper.

Oh and right before we went to St. George, Cooper had his 9 month check-up.
Here's the scoop:
height 30 1/4" 95th percentile
weight 23.6 lbs (24 lbs by now) 90th percentile
head 18 1/2" 90th percentile

Coop's growing so fast! He looks big in these photos, but still has that contagious smile. Enjoy friends and family!

Our friend captured this moment with Cooper reading his book.

He looks so big with shoes on. How does that song go? "Got my new shoes on...and everything is going to be all right."

Cooper fell asleep while drinking his bottle of formula at Texas Roadhouse.

Our happy Cooper!

Nice backhand

Hats off everyone!

You aren't going to leave me in here, are you?

All he's missing is a Ukulele.

Beck and Cooper playing together.

Cooper playing in Beck's tent. He's having a great time.

Don't eat the sand, Coop. Oh well, too late. :) Jealin called them sand cookies.

Plum-tuckered out after a big day at the park.

I can type!

2009-04-11T08:36:00.002-06:00

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9 Months!

2009-04-09T20:34:00.004-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COOPER!

Today Cooper turns 9 months old! That means that officially he has been out longer than he was in. We didn't do much celebrating today - just a regular Thursday. Hayley did sing "Happy Birthday" to him 7 times though. He is such a good boy. Right now he is gently sleeping in his crib, with a slight snore. He's definitely in tune with his little body. He was almost asleep earlier then decided to be awake. After some quality time in the jumperoo, it was discovered that he had unfinished business before bedtime. Once we took care of that, and of course, fed him 6 more ounces, he went to sleep easily.

Often we will say to each other just how blessed we are to have Cooper. He's a great joy to us and we're so grateful to his birth mom. Thanks again so much! We'll always be in debt for your gift to us.

For his 9-month birthday he got a new car seat. It's one of those fancy ones that he gets to face front with! No more looking backwards at passing telephone poles and Golden Arches. It will also be his first Easter soon. I just know he is looking forward to a visit from the Easter Bunny. He might even get some mini sports balls.

Here is a cute video of him laughing a month or so ago.

20 Seconds... Holy Crap!

2009-04-06T22:13:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we were playing with Cooper and thought we would just see if he could stand on his own. Wouldn't you know the little guy just stood there and kept his balance for 13 seconds. Later that day he stood on his own for 17 seconds! We half expected him to start running around, but we're pretty excited about this. The video here shows him standing on his own for 20 seconds! He's getting quite good at this.

Tonight we placed him on his belly for fear that he might just not ever crawl. He can move himself around some - mostly just pivoting on his big belly. He can go around in circles and backwards slowly. He did roll over on his own but we wonder if each time is just an accident. Stay tuned to see if he walks or crawls first.

He now has 4 teeth. The two on top came in last week and though they're still bothering him a bit, he is enjoying biting everything he can. Sometimes leaving some pretty deep teeth marks. (Like in Hayley's finger!) His appetite is back to normal - so that's a good sign. He is also sleeping through the night again. Last night was 11 hours! We are so lucky.

We have been thinking lately about how lucky we are to have him in our family. He is such a good boy and we love him so much. Cooper almost always has a smile on his face.

As If I Needed Another Reason to Love My Wife... And Other News

2009-03-23T11:57:00.003-06:00

When we were first married, Hayley and I signed an agreement regarding several household chores. Kind of like a prenuptual agreement. Not really. But we did have an "understanding" that I didn't clean bathrooms well and she didn't want to do the ironing. So that's the deal: I iron, she cleans the toilets.

This last month or so when I have been ill and super busy with work and other things happening, bless Hayley's heart. She has done almost the whole stack of ironing that has built up for over a month and cleaned the bathrooms. Ironing is not her favorite thing but she has done it willingly. Or maybe because she needed some clothes to wear! Probably not since 90% of the ironing is my white shirts. I love you Hayley!

In other news:
Cooper is becoming more mobile! He can almost raise himself up to a sitting position when lying on his back. His abs are getting pretty toned from all the practice. (And, yes, he does have abs underneath all that cute, round belly.) This morning he was on his belly playing with toys. Usually we joke that he is high-centered with his big stomach, but now he is moving a bit. It's kind of scary! I put a toy to his side and he scooched himself easily over to it and played with it. Then he moved back to his other toys. He is also starting to lift his rear up and get on his knees a little bit when on his stomach. We thought for a while that he would not crawl and just walk, but maybe that will change! He still loves to stand and is doing more of it unassisted by humans. Cooper is also doing a lot more leaning and bending to touch things and pick them up.

As for me, I went to the doctor AGAIN yesterday while everyone else was at church. The diagnosis was influenza B. Maybe someone with a little more medical knowledge can explain to me how I have been sick for a good share of 2 months and have the flu when I received a flu shot. In fact, I don't recall a winter where I have been more sick than this. Either way, I am feeling a bit better and will be getting some much needed rest and relaxation.

March Madness is in full swing. We have a Tournament Challenge at work that has not been to kind to me. I have been bringing up the rear until yesterday. Just for fun, I invited Hayley to enter her picks. Wouldn't you know that she is in second place right now? Amazing. I love it! And, I'm not going to lie, but if you're going to be sick, lounging around over the first weekend of March Madness isn't the worst thing that could happen....

This Dude Can Eat!

2009-03-17T21:54:00.002-06:00

When I arrived home this evening around 9:15, I expected that Cooper would be sound asleep in bed. Hayley mentioned that he was wide awake after 14 ounces of formula. She fed him 8 and he was still hungry for more. 4 more ounces went down. Still hungry.... 2 more ounces and yet he was wide awake. Highly unusual for him. The question we had to ask each other is how much is too much? It's great Cooper's eating well, but seriously, 14 ounces? He had that once before, but what makes tonight special is after I got home and tried putting him to bed, he ate 2 more! I know he would have had more, but after a good wrapping and lights out, he finally fell asleep. The total for the day: 39 ounces of formula, three containers of solid food, and 1/2 a rice cracker. Amazing. Can't wait to change that diaper...

Failure to Yield

2009-03-16T21:29:00.005-06:00

Last Wednesday I was involved in a bit of a fender bender only in this case it was a wheel bender. I was leaving work and about 5 seconds out of the parking lot a girl ran a stop sign and hit the back side of our white car.

Here's how it went down. I was headed down a very small road where there were no other cars. She was approaching the intersection (coming out of a parking lot) and appeared to be slowing down at the stop sign. I continued on my way home. (The crazy thing is I left work a few minutes early to help Hayley at home with a few things.) As I got closer, I could see she had passed the stop sign and I knew she wasn't stopping. By that time it was too late to swerve, speed up or slam on brakes. We were going to hit. You know that second or two when you just know you're going to get hit? At least neither of us were going very fast and no one was injured at all. We pulled off to the side and assessed the damage. Unfortunately the small impact hit right at the wheel and bent it enough that it rendered the car undrivable. Her car, of course, received hardly a scratch on the bumper and her license plate came off.

The damage wasn't too bad.

I called the police and after he drove around for a while trying to find us, he arrived on the scene. I could see by his name tag things would be alright - Officer Willoughby. WHAT ARE THE ODDS?? No relation at all, but that was an interesting side note. He asked what happened. I let her answer since it was clearly her fault. Her response was classic. "I thought he passed." The officer inquired again and she stated that she thought I had actually passed by the front of her car. Huh? I don't get it! He gave her plenty of grief over that lame excuse. Fortunately I was able to clear things up a bit with my statement that she ran the stop sign. She was given a ticket that would cost her around $170.

It was hard for me to be too upset since I felt bad for her. It was her first accident and ticket. She had to ask the officer what to do with the ticket. I think she was pretty upset at herself too. We engaged in some brief conversation while we waited for the policeman to arrive. At first she wasn't sure if the police were needing to be called.

My problem with this whole thing is the inconvenience factor. I fully suspect by the end of this ordeal, I'll have wished I was the one receiving the ticket. For starters, she drove away from the scene. Rather quickly, I might add. There I was standing on the side of the road with Officer Willoughby, both of us waiting for the tow truck. Once the truck came and took away my car, I was still standing on the side of the road in West Valley. I walked back to work where I was able to get a ride to Clearfield where my dad met me and drove me to his house so I could pick up his car and finally get myself home. Inconvenience? Oh, that's only the beginning. Who had to go to the tow truck yard and retrieve all my personal items from the car Friday? Who had to spend 45 minutes on the phone filing a claim with another person's insurance company within 24 hours of the accident and then another 30 minutes the next day only to be told over and over that they would not accept any liablity until they were able to get a statement from the other driver. Right now I don't know where my car is because I can't get anyone to call me back. Who had to spend time at a car rental shop this morning after I hitched another ride from my dad all the way to Salt Lake? That would be me. The good news is that I have practically a brand new car to drive around while they fix the Altima. The bad news is it's a Kia. I had my heart set on something a little more sexy.

Cooper had a fun ride from the driveway to the garage tonight!

I don't mean to sound upset over everything because in actuality things are going okay. It's just interesting that for something that wasn't my fault that I have to go through so much trouble. Oh well. I'll just think twice next time Hayley asks for my help...

Thanks for reading this far. Please vote in the poll on the left. This was number 5 for me. Just curious if anyone else is as unlucky as I am.

Picture Puzzle

2009-03-04T14:42:00.005-07:00

I post this only because of what I do for a living. I am interested how many people can see what is wrong with this picture. This was printed in CosmoGirl Prom magazine currently for sale. In the end, it may not be that funny for most who read this, but for us at work, it was pretty hilarious. You can click on it to enlarge. Comment if you see (or don't see) the major faux pas.

(If you get stumped, look at the bottom of our blog for the answer.)

341,280 minutes

2009-03-03T21:50:00.002-07:00

Cooper's second tooth is in. It took 226 days for tooth number one and eleven days later, he completed the set! Go Cooper!

Cooper is already chasing girls without even using his feet!

2009-03-01T14:16:00.005-07:00

A cute girl at church today, named Aspen kissed Cooper. Unfortunately, I wasn't there to witness the kiss. But as soon she did, the mom told me Cooper was moving his hands excitedly in a "come back, give me more" action. He loved it. I can't blame him for soaking in all this attention.

Also, I was playing with Cooper while he was practicing piano today. We try and get a few minutes in each day so when it comes time for lessons, he'll be a natural. (Don't worry all you sports fans, Cooper will also play sports.) I would pop my head on each side of him when he was looking the other way. He giggled so hard! It made my day.

Here's more pictures of cute Cooper this weekend. Thanks to a couple of cousins, Cooper doesn't have to play with the same toys over and over. Here's a few photos of Cooper with his new toys. I'm warning you, he looks big!

Cooper standing up without big people help.

Nice pose, Cooper and the reflection of the plant in the coffee table makes me look like I'm an avid polisher.

We just finished a stroll with dad around the block.Family time is the best.

Coops laughing at Dad.

New toy from cousins

Is that his tongue or bottom lip?

Cooper 7 months plus - He's growing up too fast!

2009-02-24T15:54:00.007-07:00

Hello Everyone! To all those who check our blog regularly - so sorry no updates for 3 weeks - but this video of Cooper just a week old and comparative photos from February 2009 of Cooper should put a smile on your faces.

Here is a video of when Cooper acted and looked like a baby. SO CUTE and wow - what a difference! A friend said today, "I'm sorry, but I think he skipped his baby days. She's right. Those baby days went too fast!

Cooper is a ball of energy and we are enjoying every minute of Cooper's life, but he is growing up way too fast. Love ya son!

February 2009 photos

Showing off his almost first tooth!

Sitting up in his Bouncer

Cooper had his friend, McKinlee over for a piano concert.
We were all impressed with their duet.

Cooper wanted to wash his hands all by himself and perhaps a
few other body parts while he was at it.

Calling Daddy

Wearing Dad's Wildcat cap - can you see his first tooth?

And here are just a few updates on Cooper for February 2009:
*His first tooth came in the 2nd week of February.
*Cooper is wearing 12 to 18 month size clothes. He is one solid, healthy boy. (9 months size clothes are long gone)
*He laughs regularly, especially when dad takes the pillow to his own head
*Cooper was sick for a few weeks and lost his appetite for the first time ever. He only ate 4 oz. one day. It really scared his parents since he's used to 30 to 35 oz. a day. We were so happy his doctor knew just what to do for pronto recovery. Yeah Cooper it's great to have you back!
*Cooper is on the brink of a new car seat. His head touches the top and his feet hang over the edge and mom can hardly carry the car seat with Cooper in it, but is still managing.
He gives great kisses. On Sunday he gave McKinlee a juicy kiss.
Cooper gets so excited when dad comes home - he starts flapping his wings when we hear the garage door open and we sing the "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home" song.
Cooper has a healthy appetite. He can finish off 3 containers of solid baby food in one setting and is taking in 10-13 oz. of formula before bed time.
Cooper is a happy boy, especially between teething stages. He flashes that glowing smile and hearts are touched instantly. People comment on how happy and content he is.

Our next visit to the doctor is in April for Cooper's 9th month check up. What do you think his weight will be on April 10th?

What A Happy Boy

2009-02-07T21:43:00.003-07:00

Unfortunately for all of us, what occurred in the 90 seconds just before this video was taken will forever be lost to posterity. Cooper was laughing so hard! We were able to get the tail end of his hysterics on this video. He was great entertainment while Hayley was on bed rest.

Tender Mercies

2009-02-02T15:10:00.007-07:00

Just when we thought we couldn't express more love to our sweet son Cooper, today we have a new found and even deeper love for him. We appreciate him and the greatness he has brought to our home even more. He is our everything!

Just before our adoption finalization, we found out we were pregnant. Hayley took a home test but just to be certain had it confirmed the next day. At the time, she was 4-1/2 weeks along. At the first doctor visit everything seemed to be going just fine. A couple of weeks passed and she started having a few complications in the form of pain and bleeding. At 7 weeks, and after a tough weekend, she went to a different doctor and he performed the first ultrasound. The picture showed an embryo that was growing at a good pace. Even the baby's heartbeat could be heard.

Then Hayley's symptoms worsened and she was put on bed rest. This was a very difficult thing for her especially when it came to taking care of Cooper. She was not to lift anything, including him.

But it didn't mean she couldn't snuggle!

This past Friday, Saturday and Sunday were the worst days for Hayley. She was in excruciating pain several times and there wasn't much that could be done to give her comfort. Today, at a little over 8 weeks and after a week's worth of bed rest, the doctor's visit produced the result of miscarriage. The ultrasound showed no sign of life and what was there last Monday was no longer. A blood test confirmed it.

As we sit and consider the roller-coaster ride of all roller-coaster rides, I would like to mention a few things that have given us learning moments or finding the Lord's tender mercies in this experience.

First, our thoughts go straight to Cooper. How grateful we are for him! Hayley prayed for him the other day that he would not be affected by the events surrounding the pregnancy and that he would continue to be happy and fun. That prayer was answered in abundance and he has truly been a light in our lives.

We have thought often during the short pregnancy how strange it was that we would adopt and then get pregnant. Nearly everyone knows someone or knows of someone who has done this. We know that we were to get Cooper to our family first. While we were at the doctor this morning, my parents watched him but we knew we wanted him home quickly so that he could bring us his wonderful countenance and smile. We draw strength from our recent experience with him at the temple also. We love you Cooper!

Second. For 5 years we tried to get pregnant. We had no success. No one was able to tell us it couldn't happen, it just wasn't working. After Cooper's adoption, it happened. We take comfort knowing that someday it may happen again.

Third. We have been the recipients of many great acts of kindness. Friends, neighbors and family have been so supportive and wonderful helpers. Despite some long hours at work last week, I knew that Hayley and Cooper were in good hands. We have three vases of flowers, meals, dinners and desserts, notes of kindness and hope, many visitors and phone calls of people expressing love and concern and prayers that were offered on our behalf. How grateful we are to be associated with such wonderful people. We cannot ever express how thankful we are to all who have helped in any way. Yesterday at church I lost track of how many people offered help. To share one experience in particular - Hayley was alone with Cooper one night last week for what was supposed to be a short time. I was delayed greatly at work and was an hour and a half late. Just at the moment of greatest need, there was a knock at the door and one of our dear friends was standing there and said she felt impressed to stop by. She was able to take care of things when Hayley wasn't. We're so grateful for everyone who has given so much for us.

Even Cooper helped his mom by doing dishes.

Fourth- asking hard questions. Today we had our moments of great sadness for the loss of the pregnancy. But overall, we're holding up okay. Not to say that there may be more moments and tears shed in the future. I believe we have both been prepared along the way. Our journey in getting Cooper to us caused us to ask some very hard and serious questions about life and why things didn't quite seem to be going as we had hoped. Many tender mercies can be easily found after the particular experience designed to test our faith. And many are so personal that I will not share them here. But as I said, we wondered why things didn't work out the way we thought they should. That was our problem though - not our will be done, but "Thy will be done." That is a hard thing to do. Both of us have had many experiences that have tested us but we put our faith in the one person who truly does know best. The one person who can give and take life. It's up to us to endure these things and we will be better for it. We don't know how our lives will be shaped. What we do know is we need enough faith in God to know that he is looking out for us and our eternal good.

Fifth, we draw strength from each other. Our marriage relationship has strengthened during each trial along the way of building our family. Not once has there been any finger pointing or negativity. Our love is stronger than ever. Just when we think it can't get better, it does.

Sixth. We know we are not walking alone through this. What a great thing it is to know that there are so many others who have had similar experiences that we can rely on for hope and strength. Our hearts go out to you all. It's a very difficult thing.

Seventh, and perhaps one of the hardest challenges, is to accept help and service. I have mentioned how many have given us service yet it is difficult sometimes to accept all of this. Hayley is better than me, but we have both had to swallow a little pride and allow others to help and bless us.

These past few weeks have been very eventful with Cooper's finalization and sealing, discovering Hayley's pregnancy and losing the baby. Despite the highs and lows, we are glad for our faith and understanding in God's plan. We're grateful for each other and our sweet son, Cooper. Thanks again to all our family and friends for everything - friendships have been made and relationships strengthened.

Together Forever

2009-01-23T18:46:00.007-07:00

Last Monday our family became "official" as we finalized at the Farmington courthouse. That was truly a great day for our family but it was just the beginning of an exciting week. We made arrangements to go to the Bountiful Temple and be sealed for time and all eternity Saturday the 17th. We were not prepared for what we felt that day. First of all, we were worried about being late for our appointment but when we walked in the front door with Cooper in our arms, the warmth and love that only the temple can bring entered our hearts and we began to understand what we were about to experience. Plus, they couldn't have started without us!

We have had the very choice opportunity to attend several family sealings the last couple of years and each one has been an awesome experience. All of those could not have prepared us for our own. When we walked in the temple, the workers took us into the youth center. Our hearts were touched as we left Cooper to get ready. His wonderful aunt Shantel was able to be with him. There was a special feeling at the youth center - it provided some very sacred spiritual thoughts about children and the meaning of families in mortality and the pre-earth life. We'll not share too many of our special moments here since they are so sacred to us.

The sealing room was full of family and friends. If we could, we would have loved to invite everyone we knew to be with us. Adding to the "special-ness" of the ordinance was the fact that Grandpa Singleton could perform the sealing. We had the opportunity to have both our grandfathers seal us in the temple- once as a couple and then adding Cooper. Within a few minutes the door was opened and the temple workers brought in little Cooper dressed in white. At that moment, the Spirit entered the room and touched each person that was there. Many tears were shed in happiness and the sight of our son joining the group. We knelt at the altar and the sacred ordinance was performed where we became a forever family. Everyone present was able to congratulate our family shortly afterwards. It was one of the greatest days and experiences of our lives. Cooper seemed to even have a glimpse into what was happening and even appeared to know more than everyone else present. Before we went to the sealing room, we read together in 3 Nephi 17 where the Savior blesses the little children. We know that Cooper is a very special boy that was meant to be in our family. It has been said before but is eternally true, how grateful we are to his birth mother for being led to select us as his parents. We love you and we love baby Cooper!

The warmth in our hearts that day made up for the chilly air.
Bountiful Temple

Doesn't Cooper look like an angel from heaven?

We are now a forever family! That's why we're smiling so big!

Many family and friends came to support the marvelous, special event of Cooper being
sealed to us in the temple. Thanks to all of you for your kindness and love on this day and always.

COOPER IS SO FUN!

2009-01-15T12:37:00.013-07:00

We visited some friends yesterday and of course Cooper was ham with all of them.

Here's a picture with our good friend, Jenn.

Cooper loves to eat and as you can see he gets so excited to have his first bite at meal time.

WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE CONCERT PIANIST, LINE BACKER, SLAM DUNKER or SHORT STOP?

Today, it looks like CONCERT PIANIST is in the running. Cooper played me a few songs he made up all on his own. He's so talented. It's fun to see him sit up on the piano bench all by himself. He's growing up too fast.

DID YOU SEE THE "HAPPY BIRTHDAY COOP" POSTING - IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN FOR SOME MORE PICS OF COOPER.

THE BIG DAY!

2009-01-12T16:13:00.003-07:00

Anxiously waiting...

We are one happy family!

Thanks to our social worker, Morgan. We love you!

Cooper is already interested in cute McKinlee.
A BIG THANKS to those who came to support us!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

Today was a special day for our little family! We went to court to have Cooper officially become a Willoughby. Some family and friends come to support us on this big day! We were only in the court room for a few minutes. There were 4 adoptions at our same scheduled time and luckily, we got to go first. The judge was great. After it was all done, the judge asked for the grandmas and grandpas of Cooper to be in a picture together with him. That was really cool. Afterwards, our attorney dropped his "Attorney Demeanor" and asked to hold Cooper. The cashier lady even asked to hold him. Morgan, you were great, too. I think you've done this before, you pro!

This memory will last forever! And to Cooper's Godmother - We love you and wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Coop!

2009-01-12T15:41:00.002-07:00

Cooper turned 6 months old on Friday! For his parents, the six months went by really fast. He woke up and it was business as usual - eat and play! We didn't really have a big celebration other than singing Happy Birthday to him.

Cooper is now ready for 2nd foods. Apparently they're a little thicker and you get more in a cup, but it really didn't matter. He was eating 2 cups of 1st foods each feeding. We have struggled getting him to drink from his bottle these days. We think it's because he loves eating in his high chair with a spoon. We're going to get him a sippy cup soon and have him practice drinking. In a few days he'll probably be eating steak and lobster with us at the dinner table. Ok- maybe not. But it might be spaghetti! For his first try of 2nd foods, he tried the Hawaiian Delight. I think he liked it but it was hard to say. He had peas just before that and it was the first time he didn't really care for something so maybe anything after peas would be exciting.

Unfortunately for Cooper, his birthday celebration included a trip to the doctor for a checkup and 3 more shots. He was such a trooper though, he cried for only a couple of seconds and that was it. The doctor said he is healthy, developing normally and overall doing very well. As for the stats, he weighs just under 20 pounds putting him a little over 90th percentile. He is 27.7 inches tall, also over 90th percentile. We diagnosed his cuteness as 100th percentile!

Happy birthday, Cooper! We love you!

Cooper at Nana's

2009-01-08T14:31:00.005-07:00

Ryan is so much better at this blogging thing than I am, but I just had to update with these cute pictures from visiting Cooper's Nana yesterday.

I think that's what you call a "shagrin".

Cooper waving to Nana.

Just a cute quirk about Cooper. This is Cooper at Nana's during his nap. He loves to have his face covered when he sleeps with just his lips hanging out for air. Quite often we find Cooper with his blanket pulled over his head in the mornings or during the day after his naps.

Christmas with Mr. Cooper

2008-12-26T16:51:00.005-07:00

As you might imagine, Christmas was super exciting this year. Cooper didn't really know what all was happening. Christmas Eve we went to two family parties and he met many new aunts and uncles.

At the second party with Hayley's family, Santa Claus came! Hayley woke up Cooper from his nap so he could sit on Santa's lap. Though he couldn't really say what he wanted, Santa just knew that he wanted a jungle playmat. And would you believe that Santa brought one to Cooper later that night? That's what makes Christmas so much fun!

When we got home, Cooper ate and opened his first present from under the tree. We gave him some great looking sports pajamas for which he was thankful for. He is growing out of pajamas pretty quick these days.

He slept through the night as usual but woke up around 6:45 Christmas morning. As most children do he woke his parents up (but in his case it was because he was hungry.) We opened a few presents together but he lost some interest in the whole thing.

We headed up to Liberty to a family party and encountered much snow. It snowed the whole way there. When we left the roads were wet but when we arrived, we had driven through snow-packed roads and some hadn't been plowed. We had to drive through over a foot of fresh powder on the roads and blaze our own trail. A bit of adventure but it didn't come without a few white-knuckle moments. Fortunately the plows came through by the time we left the mountains.

Another family party began that evening. Cooper participated by ringing bells as the family sang Jingle Bells.

Merry Christmas from the Willoughby's

2008-12-24T10:56:00.002-07:00

Here's the card that didn't make the cut.

Either way, have a Merry Christmas!

Air Cooper

2008-12-22T22:14:00.006-07:00

Cooper is developing some mad hops. He loves his jumperoo and will bounce and jump in it for the longest time. Here is a quick video of him jumping. It's good he has his jumperoo to keep him from jumping too high. Watching him do this is so much fun!

Hoarse Laugh

2008-12-21T22:09:00.003-07:00

Not to be confused with "horse" laugh, we caught this fun moment on video. Check out Cooper's fun sounds.

Sticky Phone

2008-12-21T21:24:00.003-07:00

I wanted to make a phone call from our cordless phone this evening. When I went to pick it up I made a grisly discovery.

Apparently our phone is now used for ABC gum storage.

William Hung is back!

2008-12-19T08:15:00.004-07:00

By popular demand, here is Ryan performing his William Hung "encore" impersonation at the company Christmas party. Sorry the first part is cut off. Please vote on the poll on the left. Enjoy!

Recent Happenings

2008-12-13T09:57:00.006-07:00

Our dear friends the Stones brought us a home made "snowman". It was made out of popcorn, gum drops, smarties, toothpicks, straws and some Reese's peanut butter cups. The plate had a scattering of snow - white marshmallows! I think we must keep the house too warm, though, because he melted overnight and then Cooper took to it. It was one of the most creative and wonderful things we've seen. What's left of the snowman is still sitting in a pile on our counter. Thank you Stones family!

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Merry Christmas from Cooper! He sure loves Christmas trees and all the lights on them.

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Hayley loves to use those microwave covers to prevent splatters. For $1.29, it's been a very good investment - saved us twice that in elbow grease. We have depended on this item for years and have not experienced any problems until a few days ago. We had a bowl of corn in the microwave, covered, and when the ding came the cover and the bowl had somehow been sucked together. There was no prying them apart. Drastic measures were needed.

The unfortunate result:

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In other news....
Move over, William Hung. There's a new act in town!

The crazy things you do at the office party...

Happy 5-Month Birthday

2008-12-09T22:02:00.003-07:00

Today is Cooper's 5 month birthday! Unfortunately it wasn't anything too special. Just a normal Tuesday. He does continue to grow up way too fast. Even 5 short months can show significant differences. Since he came into our lives, we have never been happier. We have prepared a photo journey of his last 5 birthdays. (I guess 6 if you count his 0 month birthday!) Happy birthday, Cooper!

A Thanksgiving Visitor... and a Christmas Miracle

2008-11-27T21:26:00.002-07:00

Warning: A graphic scene of death below....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! After our huge meal at my parents followed by a nice post Thanksgiving dinner, turkey-induced nap, we decided to tackle the big job of putting up our Christmas decorations.

We keep our decorations and tree in the crawlspace. It's a nice storage room but we have had the unfortunate findings now and then of mice. Every year we pull out several big boxes and totes of Christmas stuff hoping not to find a "surprise". This year, we did. The poor little guy found his way onto one of our carefully placed sticky traps. It's a weird feeling. You don't know whether to be grateful you caught it or if you should be freaking out that there is (was) a mouse running around. Anyway, our count is up to 11 or 12 in our 5-1/2 years here. Glad to report they are being found in less damaging areas of the house.

Now, for the good news. As we put together (with many grunts and scratches) our ginormous Christmas tree in the front room we crossed our fingers the lights would work. We plugged in the cords and a few strands, and VIOLA! the whole thing was lit! This may not seem like a miracle to most people, even if your last name is Griswold. We received the tree from a neighbor who upgraded. (How could you "upgrade" from a 10' tree?) Anyway, year number 1 we lived with half the lights on. Year #2 I spent an entire Saturday reworking the lights. It must have 20 or more strands of them. After lots of blood, sweat and tears, we got it working. When we put the tree down, we hoped that year #3 would finally be the plug-it-in-and-decorate kind of year. And it was! Must have been because Cooper helped!

Houdini

2008-11-26T15:59:00.003-07:00

Since the day he was born, Cooper has liked to be swaddled. It helps him calm down and sleep better. We like it because he knows when he is wrapped in a blanket that it is bedtime or nap time. Now that he is a big boy, and quite strong, there is no amount of blanket that can keep his arms in anymore. He may go down all swaddled, but he wakes up with his arms up and out.

This picture was taken this morning. Hayley got up to feed Cooper and put him down for a nap. When I walked in his room around 10:15, this is what I found. He had somehow managed to get both arms out and one arm even made it through the neck hole on his bib! Anyway, the simple things that make us laugh! He is one funny dude - always full of surprises.

Swimming In Snot and endless Cooper chuckles!

2008-11-25T10:19:00.003-07:00

Poor Cooper! He's spitting, blowing, and popping out snot. Cooper was sitting on my lap at the fine out-of-tune piano when he blew 2 snot-rockets all over my hands and keys. It was a lovely mess. I just laughed and Cooper when he got his breath, chuckled, too. Cooper is developing his laugh. The other day, Ryan was changing Cooper's diaper. He was following the regular routine of wipes then lots of lotion. Ryan decided to carry the lotion over to the backside. He flipped Cooper over on his belly and Cooper let out a lotion toot. I was downstairs and heard a fun laugh from Ryan and a cute chuckle from Cooper. I came upstairs to catch the priceless moment. Sure enough, Cooper thought breaking wind was funny. I'm so glad he did, because I love bathroom humor. Love it! I'm one of those people who laughs if someone farts or burps. It's just apart of nature, right? Then my Tucan nose picked up a ripe, fresh diaper smell. WHEWY! I immediately reached for the good smelling room spray and gave it a good squirt. Cooper laughed again! The game was on. Each time I sprayed the freshner, Cooper laughed. It was a magical fruity moment and I'm so glad that Ryan and I were there to witness it together. PRICELESS!

Two New Dang Cute Photos

2008-11-19T22:28:00.003-07:00

This picture was taken in the dark. Who is that masked man?

One-Third of a Century is a Very Long Time

2008-11-17T22:24:00.005-07:00

My dear sister Shannon turned 33 on Saturday. I felt it was my brotherly duty to devote a little internet space to her. Just a few pictures to show her early years. Unfortunately, I don't have any incriminating photos. But, these are still family classics.

Ahhhh. The always entertaining (and very 1980's) double portrait.

The red sweater matches well with the lavender, pink and teal sweater, don't you think? Shannon will never live that down.

It's clear from this photo that she liked to hang out with her very cool older brother with his Darth Vader poster and impossible bedspread. Please tell me someone said cheese...

She always could fly a higher kite. And, run faster, bowl better, make more baskets, and probably could throw more tantrums on a softball diamond. Maybe just a few more?

One of my personal favorites. What could she be listening to? Maybe the best hits of 1980? My guess is "So Alive" by Love and Rockets. I know she still has the single on tape!

Happy 33rd birthday, Shannon. May all your wildest dreams come true.

Cooper's 4!

2008-11-17T21:53:00.004-07:00

Four months, that is. It's been a while since we gave a good update on Cooper. Last Monday Cooper had his 4-month checkup, including 4 more shots. By the numbers, he is 26" long (90th percentile) and weighs 16.1 lbs. (80th percentile). The doctor said he is about as healthy as they come. He has reached a few milestones:

* Talking noises
* Rolling over
* Sitting up on his own
* Eating solids

Cooper is gaining so much personality. He smiles so easy and often and usually giggles when tickled. His spitting up has really decreased the last week so we hope he is growing out of it. A funny thing about Cooper is he loves to stand. When we try to have him sit, sometimes he goes stiff as a board and won't bend. It is the funniest thing.

He is always moving his legs and easily gets compared to Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt. We know one thing, Cooper is going places and going fast. The other day in the tub during bath time, he was laying in the water, held by Hayley, and was kicking up a storm - splashing water everywhere. It was so cute!

His mom and dad had their 4-month checkup from the adoption agency today. We passed as Cooper put on quite a show for the social worker. We are less than 2 months from finalization and are very excited.

One Ninety-Seven

2008-11-13T10:21:00.002-07:00

What a happy day today. I can honestly say it was a pleasure to re-fuel the car this morning. The Maverik at 17th South and Redwood Road features regular unleaded for $1.99. Thanks to the famous Adventure Club Card, an extra 2 cents per gallon was saved. I filled up the car for $25 and change. My eyes gazed in amazement as the dollars and cents populated the display in a rather unfamiliar, slow way.

I think to myself "enjoy it while it lasts". I wish I had a reservoir or swimming pool that I could fill with cheap gas and stockpile for a future day. But, for now, I will enjoy my experience this morning and feel the excitement of "cheap" gas.

Scary Movies

2008-10-31T09:07:00.003-06:00

Hayley isn't much into scary movies. Neither am I much anymore, I guess, but in my past I have had some horrific experiences with scary movies. I will highlight the tragedies briefly since I am getting scared looking at these pictures.

Watcher In The Woods - My siblings and I would watch this once in a while when we needed a good spook. Nothing compared to the first time though. When you're a little kid watching this? Freaky scary.

The Changeling - The new movie with the same name that starts today is bringing back memories of watching this classic. Nothing like a little kid in a scary movie to make you fall apart. The bouncy ball, rocking chair and bathtub. Chilling.

Poltergeist - I think most of us could watch this as adults and wonder what the big deal was, but again as kids, was there anything worse than that terrifying clown?

The Shining - The only time I have watched this is on TV, so I am sure it was very watered down but still made my heart stop beating at times. I will never get the image of those two twin girls standing in hallway out of my mind. It will haunt me the rest of my life.

Storm of the Century - A classic TV movie by Stephen King. If I recall it was on once a week for about 3 weeks. My sisters and I had to watch it. We would talk about it all week in anticipation for the next installment. Andre Linoge was enough to freak us out for nearly a month. Watch this on a cold wintry day... if you dare.

The Ring - I sometimes think the new scary movies don't compare to the old ones, but I watched this alone one night in my apartment a few years ago. Big mistake. I will always regret that. Several times I had to stop the movie and walk around or call someone just to make sure it was not real! After the 7th day, I could finally sleep again.

There are probably some others out there but these seem to stick out as the best (or worst) of them.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Our Little Tigger

2008-10-29T11:02:00.001-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-25T22:06:00.008-06:00

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE TIME - Ryan impersonates Napoleon nicely, wouldn't you say? And I don't do half bad as Deb. Scary isn't it? Check out the "Glamour Shots" sign Ryan made that's pinned to my fanny pack. Here's some pictures taken at a couple of Halloween shindigs. I think my brothers and their wives pulled off their costumes perfectly. Doesn't the Joker look terrifying? Can you guess who the big nose people are so supposed to be? CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO SEE A CLOSER LOOK - IF YOU DARE!

In a refreshing breath here's Cooper in his Tigger costume. He had fun with his cousins today at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Sweet Seats

2008-10-25T00:04:00.006-06:00

Check out our sweet seats at the Jazz game Thursday night. We were right on top of the action. 5th row at center court! Hayley thought the players looked small that close. I think on TV they look small but who's counting.
This is the view we had most of the game. Every Jazz bucket, this dude was on his feet.
I didn't watch the Jazz girls....

Carlos Boozer was so close we could smell him.
There was another instance of a fellow Jazz fan who clearly had another reason for attending the contest. It is always fascinating to observe the amount of calories consumed by individuals in a two-hour period. Our neighbor went down on a 1,000 calorie double cheese burger with bacon. The best part is she had NO napkins. Errr, wait. She did have her pants. And coat. Classic.

Hike with Hayley's family

2008-10-17T12:11:00.005-06:00

Every year at the end of September it's tradition to take the the family hiking, usually up North Fork area. It's so beautiful this time of year and here are just a few family pictures. What does Dash say at the end of the Incredible's movie? "I LOVE MY FAMILY!" Yes, that is how I feel.
(I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CAPTION EACH PICTURE, BUT THE CAPTIONS ARE IN ORDER OF THE PICTURES, JUST NOT UNDER EACH ONE.)

JUST STARTING THE HIKE UP NORTH FORK

STILL HANGIN' AS A GROUP - CHECK OUT THAT COLOR

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOUNTAIN MAN DAD!

WE ALL CROSSED THIS LOG SAFELY (SHANTEL and Lyndi)

SWINGIN' TIME

MORE SWINGING ON A LARGER SCALE

Free Handbag!

2008-10-13T10:30:00.006-06:00

You don't believe me? Check this out...
http://www.handbagplanet.com/

Poor Cubs

2008-10-09T07:56:00.005-06:00

For us Chicago Cub fans, please feel free to hang your head in shame and disbelief. It was exactly 100 years ago they last won a world series and 63 years ago since they have played in one. Now you can add one more to that. They won 97 games in the regular season and this was supposed to be their year. They blew it all in the 2nd inning of Game 2. They didn't even need Steve Bartman's help. To demonstrate the severity of the Cubs lack of showing up in the playoffs, my brother-in-law, a long-time Cub fan, has jumped ship. After 34 years of cheering for them he has now decided to switch loyalty. He'll come back around.

Once a Cub fan, always a Cub fan...

Tongue Tie

2008-10-06T08:54:00.005-06:00

We recently went through one of the toughest things we have ever had to do. Little Cooper was born with tongue tie. It's where the "frenum", which is the cord between the bottom of the tongue and floor of the mouth, extends to the end of the tongue. Usually as the baby develops in the womb it decreases to "normal". You can read all about it and see examples at TongueTie.net. His was longer and thicker than most and it was something we wanted to address sooner rather than later. We went to a recommended ENT doctor and he gave us the rundown - the pros and cons. When he said he wouldn't be able to lick ice cream cones like the other kids we decided to have it fixed. There is also a chance that he would have speech problems as well. Not that ice cream is more important than talking...

The whole procedure was very primitive. Supplies needed: latex gloves, gauze and scissors. The doctor asked who would be the one to hold Cooper and I was the lucky one. After some topical anisthetic (which I don't think worked at all) the doctor and nurse pried his mouth open and snipped once and then twice. The poor little guy cried, screamed, and then gurgled as his mouth soon became filled with blood. I looked at Hayley and she was teary-eyed and sad. I had to fight the emotions as well. There was our son in pain and we just felt helpless. Cooper had beads of sweat on his forehead and nose. We haven't heard him so vocal ever. It broke our hearts! He took to a bottle within a couple minutes of the procedure and sucked the pain away. The bleeding stopped within the hour and when he had fully exhausted himself and fell asleep, we journeyed home where he was very sober all night.

Cooper was a tough kid. I would have been much worse off - I am sure. He was a little more cross a few days following but now seems to like having more movement in his tongue. No doubt that experience was much more painful and long-lasting for us than him. You look at the picture and say "oh, how cute". We see it and cringe. At least now (or soon) he can lick all the ice cream he wants.

Huh? Cooper walks?

2008-09-30T22:56:00.005-06:00

When we tell people that Cooper is "walking", they usually look at us in disbelief. Well, here is the video to prove it! At 7 weeks, he started moving his legs as if he were walking. He can't even stand up but with some help, he'll walk all over the house! It was so cute at first because he would only do it when he was mad or upset but now it has become a happy thing to do. Cooper continues to amaze us with his advanced capabilities. He is gifted. Happy walking, Coop!

HAPPY # 5 ANNIVERSARY!

2008-09-30T11:22:00.005-06:00

Ryan and I take turns every year planning our anniversary and it was Ryan's turn this year. It was a great success! On September 27th, Ryan and I dropped Cooper off at his parents house at 6:15 a.m. and we cruised down to Timpanogos Cave for their first FREE day ever! It was awesome. Ryan called ahead to find out the details and they encouraged him to come early since it was a free day. The lady was right about the crowds! Before Ryan and were finished with the hike, the tour was sold out. I'm so glad we went. I loved the hike, the company, and the beautiful fall leaves.

Sweet as Chocolate

2008-09-17T16:43:00.006-06:00

Good friends of ours told us one of the neighbor kids calls their daughter, McKinley "Sweet as chocolate." I can't help but think of Cooper that way, too.

Just a few updates on Cooper, Ryan, and me.

WAHOO FOR LEGACY HIGHWAY! Ryan got home in record time and spent an hour with us before he had to go do his church stuff! It was so nice to have family time. The three of us laid down and took a nap together.

Last week while I was cleaning my Grandpa's house, Ryan's parents watched Cooper. Before Cooper and I left the house that morning, I thought, "Cooper, you can fit into this outfit one more time. Besides you are only 2 months old." So I put the cowboy outfit on him. He looks pretty cute, doesn't he? I checked the elastic band levis for extra room for his belly to grow that day and it seemed okay to me. When I went to pick him up, Ryan's parents told me about Cooper's belly and how at lunch it was hanging over the pants like "dunlap" (Only babies can get away with looking cute in dunlap.) It obviously needed to be released so Ryan's dad popped the button open on the pants and the belly expanded out to its real size. Cooper acted relieved. I wish I could have been there to see that.

Cooper allowed 2 little sounds to come out with his BIG BIG smile today! I think he laughed - is that possible this early? It was the cutest thing ever! You can't be sad around a big smile like this!

Lately, he's been so cuddly with me. I'm loving it!

Baby Blessing + 5 Shots

2008-09-08T22:04:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a great day. We got to bless little Cooper in church surrounded by many friends and family. He looked so good in his blessing outfit and was very reverent during the prayer.

Many have wondered how we were able to bless him before the magical 6-month mark. So far as I can tell, there is no official church policy regarding the blessing of an adopted child. We learned through our agency that it becomes a matter of custody. Though we do not have legal custody (the adoption agency maintains custody until it is final), they granted us permission to have him blessed. I don't claim to understand everything, but we were grateful for the opportunity. At the rate he's growing, I don't know if I could hold him that long if we waited 6 months!

Today was Cooper's 2 month checkup. The doctor said he is a very healthy boy. He was impressed that Cooper was sleeping and eating as well as he does despite the acid reflux problem. We were anxious to get the new stats. He weighed 11 lbs. 12 oz. and is 23-1/2" long. That puts him at about 75th percentile in weight and 80th percentile in length. (Isn't it interesting that babies are measured in length not height?) He received 5 shots at the appointment. Hayley and I were very nervous since we have heard horror stories about this. Two nurses came in holding all the shots. One said "one, two, three" and they poked him 5 times - two in one thigh and 3 in the other. Fortunately it was over in about 10 seconds. We watched the whole thing go down anxious to hear Cooper's reaction. He cried while the shots were administered but soon after he calmed down. We were prepared with Tylenol and ready for a sleepless night. Cooper came home and ate then slept. When he woke up he was calm and peaceful even playful and smiley. Right now he is sleeping very well. Could we be this lucky? He is a trooper and must have a high tolerance for pain. Then again, he was born in the back of a truck! The picture shows the band-aids and one of the few times he cried all night.

Life with Cooper (the Swami)

2008-09-06T22:11:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow is Cooper's blessing and we have been busy all day getting ready for it. Hard to believe in a few days he'll be 2 months old. Time sure goes by fast. Monday he'll go to the doctor for his 2 month checkup where we'll find out his stats. Our guess is he is big for his age, but we'll see. It seems like he grows everyday. We're feeding him 5 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours and it shows in his belly. (Note the picture to the left...) He is getting tall, too. A couple of weeks ago, he measured 23 inches which means he has grown 4.5" since he was born. Since he's our first, we don't know if this is remarkable or not; I think we just want him to be small longer. On the other hand, we can't wait until he is crawling, walking, talking or slam-dunking on his old man. He has grown out of a lot of his newborn clothes already.

It's funny one of the first things people ask after they ask how Cooper is doing is how much sleep are we getting? The short answer: not too shabby! Obviously things have improved over the last 2 months, but it's not uncommon for Cooper to go 5 hours between feedings (sleeping most of the time) but has on occasion gone 6 and 7 hours as well. It's pretty nice to put him down at 10 and not have to get up until 3 and then again at 6 or so. It's difficult to establish a pattern of feeding because sometimes he wants 3 oz. and sometimes 5. Sometimes he'll go 2 hours between or 4 hours. We try to be flexible and keep him happy!

He has had many firsts in his short life span so far. We almost had him laughing two nights ago. He had just eaten and was as happy as I've seen him. Funny when the video camera is on, he shuts down. His personality is starting to come through more and more. Generally speaking he smiles a lot however it could be because he has a lot of gas. On that note, his acid reflux has been calmed down drastically with the medication he is on. You can find Cooper hanging out in his crib, the bouncer (which he loves), his swing or just sitting on the couch looking at the interesting clock on the wall.

Some of Cooper's favorite things: time with Mom and Dad, being held, eating, sleeping and evening walks. We can't get enough of those precious times when he is content in our arms - so peaceful and calm - and often looks up at us with is beautiful and perfect eyes.

Hayley and I are just so happy with Cooper. He is really a good baby and it's hard to remember our lives before he came around. How grateful we are for the adoption process and all those who made this possible, especially his birth mother.

He has been alive for 61 days and we have taken over 1200 pictures of him and several hours of video. A bit obsessed?? Nah! We love him!

Bad Sunburn

2008-09-06T22:01:00.002-06:00

I realize that most everyone that checks our blog is anxious for stuff about Cooper. Well, sorry to disappoint you! But, I have this bad sunburn. It's not bad as in blistering but bad like a bad haircut. In fact, if you look at the picture, it looks like a bad haircut. I wore my hat as I worked in the yard Saturday morning and this was the result. About 2 hours after I started, I put on some sunscreen around my neck, so if you look close, you can see three tones! Nice that tomorrow is Sunday so I can do the big unveiling at church. Like people will take me seriously with this kind of a look going on. Bottom line: a fresh haircut, a hat and buckets of sunshine makes for a real good look.

I've been Tagged...

2008-08-20T00:07:00.003-06:00

1. What is his name? Ryan

2. Who eats more? We tie in that department. I can down as much pizza as he can, GF pizza that is.

3. Who said, "I love you" first? Ryan, then me.

4. Who is taller? Ryan - by a long shot - I'm a shorty. My mom reminded me of that today - 5'2".

5. Who is smarter? Ryan, but I'm working on it.

6. Who is more sensitive? This is a tough one, because Ryan is sensitive to others. Perhaps we are both in different ways.
7. Who does the laundry? The never ending laundry?? We both do and Ryan is the megafast ironer of the two of us. He can whip out 8 hours of ironing in 4 hours. Impressive!

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Ryan

9. Who pays the bills? Ryan, but I'm going to start.

10. Who cooks more? Probably me, but Ryan does his share. He made me this delicious Salmon dinner with a yummy white sauce and twice baked potatoes! I was so impressed. That was before his crazy work hours.

11. Who is more stubborn? Both of us

12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Me

13. Who has more siblings? We have the same number of siblings.

14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Not sure on that one. We both do.

15. What do you like to do together? Play the Wii, go to PF Changs, and literally "Hang with Mr. Cooper." (A TV SHOW - we have our own Cooper to hang with.)

16. Who eats more sweets? ME! Ryan's not much for chocolate and I can eat a whole bag of mini snickers in a week. Crazy me. But, he does love frosting coated animal cookies - I think the brand is Mother's.

17. Guilty Pleasures? The sun. I love being outside. Ryan's? Hmmmm...Success!

18. How did you meet? Blind date.

19. Who asked whom out first? We were set up and the rest is history.

20. Who kissed who first? Ryan kissed me on our 3rd date.

21. Who proposed? Ryan - at the Timbermine down on one knee - a memorable night!

22. His best features and qualities? I love Ryan's eyes. I see goodness, kindness, gentleness, and love when I look into them. Which I try to do as often as possible. Ryan represents all that is good. He is an amazing husband and a loving, gentle father to our son. He knows how to have a good time and when to be serious. He's wonderful in many, many ways! He's a great listener and is a natural leader.

Crazy Arms

2008-08-10T22:05:00.003-06:00

What's the deal with the arms? Can anyone tell me why babies' arms flail around crazily? Cooper frightens himself with his own arms, hands and fingers. But, it's cute AND amusing!

Cooper's Hiccups

2008-08-10T21:43:00.005-06:00

Here's a fresh video of Cooper with hiccups. He gets them often but it's so dang cute!!

Cooper's Wild Ride

2008-07-11T21:18:00.004-06:00

So much has happened in the last few days that I don't know if I have the patience to sit at the computer and document the whole thing. Maybe over time the complete story will unfold. I will give the highlights in this post.

Cooper Ryan Willoughby is home as of 6:00 this evening after an hour and a half ride in the grueling heat and traffic. All the suffering was forgotten as we came home to a wonderful reception of balloons and signs. Whoever is responsible, thank you. It brought tears to our eyes!

Cooper's story begins in Michigan with his birth mother. She had decided to place her baby for adoption but couldn't find the right agency. In the meantime, our birth mother in Baltimore had decided to cease all contact with us and the agency we were with. The agency directors must have been inspired. They decided to show our profiles to two new mothers that were here and just about due. One of them was "T". She found this agency in a magazine ad and decided to give it a try. Why she would choose to call an agency all the way in Utah cannot be answered other than divine intervention. We received the news last Tuesday that we should move on from our Baltimore situation and wait for another opportunity. Tears of sadness quickly turned into joy again as we were matched with "T". She had flown to Utah to have the baby.

It's interesting to see how the Lord blesses our lives. We thought all the blessings in the world were coming to us and everything was falling into place but that was not the case. Many more wonderful things were about to happen.

After a week of phone calls and personal visits with our birth mother, the days came closer and closer. She was due on July 22 but was scheduled to be induced July 9. It was hard to be patient but the excitement of our baby being born was hard to contain. Daily we would both receive question after question: friends and family requesting updates. Everyone we knew showed such love and concern. That is a big reason how we made it through such a difficult process.

The day finally came that our new baby boy was to be born. The schedule was she would be induced at 7:00 am and should deliver anywhere from 10 to 5 that day. We had a grand plan that we would go to my work (since I was so busy and it was only 15 minutes from the hospital) and wait until around 10, and then wait for the news at the hospital. Around 6:30 am we received a phone call. Our caseworker said "I have some news. Congratulations, you're parents!" We were stunned since she wasn't supposed to even be induced until 7. Funny he would be born on the same day, at nearly the same time, as he was supposed to be induced.

As it turns out, Cooper was so anxious to get into the world (probably to meet his way cool parents) that he caused the labor to begin early. Our birth mother started feeling contractions and signs of labor around 6:00 am, when her ride was scheduled. She thought she could make it to the hospital if they hurried. Ha! Famous last words. On the way to Salt Lake, Cooper stuck his head out to greet the world! It caused a good amount of chaos in the back seat of the Dodge Ram truck. (You mothers, can you imagine? You fathers, use your imagination.) They pulled over to the side of the freeway around 500 S. in Bountiful and with one push, he was born. 9-1-1 was dialed, but the decision was made to continue to the hospital in an expedited fashion. In the truck, Cooper was wrapped in a towel and came out with eyes wide open, crying and moving. What a miracle! And what an adventure! The total labor time was around 20 minutes and in the back seat of the truck, our family grew by 1 beautiful member.

It was an anxious 3 hours that we waited at the hospital. The doctors did some thorough checks to make sure he was fine - and he was perfect. When the nurse brought him in to the room for the first time, words cannot describe the sweet emotions we felt. One of the most amazing experiences of our lives. Within that short period of time, our lives were changed forever.

A quick (or was it long, Hayley?) 3 day hospital stay and Cooper Ryan is home resting from his wild ride in the back of a Dodge Ram early Wednesday morning. True, we missed out on being part of the delivery process, but this story is much more fun to tell than that.

In the end, we thoroughly believe that the right baby came into our lives. It took a lot of fasting, prayer and faith from so many people. They were answered and we can only say "The Lord is good." God bless you all for everything you have done for us.

Cooper Ryan

2008-07-10T23:05:00.002-06:00

We announce Cooper Ryan Willoughby! Born Wednesday, July 9, 2008. 6 lbs. 6 oz. and 18-1/2" long. This little miracle has quite a story to tell. Unfortunately for all of you, his parents are very tired and are going to bed. We will update you on all the recent happenings very soon. Stay tuned...

DUN DUN DUN DUN.......The Baby's Room

2008-06-27T06:22:00.013-06:00

We've had requests for photos of the baby's room. Decorations are in the works, but it's coming, wouldn't you say? Exciting stuff! The picture of the wall and door is to show you the light turquoise paint contrast with the white doors and base boards. Somehow they look tan. I love how we didn't have to paint those. Bonus! We had nothing for the baby to begin with and now we have what we need! Thanks to all who participated in the neighborhood baby shower and to the generosity of our wonderful friends and neighbors. If by chance you weren't invited to the shower - no worries, our friends and family are throwing us another one when we get back with the baby, just let us know that you want to come. :)
As many of you are wondering...no word yet - we are just awaiting "the call" - Teira (our birth mom) says any day now.

FAMOUS CHICKEN

2008-06-27T05:53:00.006-06:00

RYAN, FEEL FREE TO EDIT THIS TO YOUR LIKING! I just had to get these fun pics up of THE FAMOUS CHICKEN! This chicken is quite entertaining as he teaches his cute little chickies to pee on the umpire and on the other teams players. He holds up signs to distract the other team like pictures of pretty girls. He even stole a vendor guys bag full of The Famous Chicken bobbing heads and tossed them freely into the audience until they were gone. We had a blast with our little friend, Mitchell. He walked the edge and liked it - sorry Jill! Ryan rides the train all the time, but this was my first experience, not too bad. They've installed a nice air conditioner, pleasant and clean. But, unfortunately, I never saw any spurs or mohawks.

HAPPY TEARS

2008-06-22T15:31:00.008-06:00

Before another moment goes by I must express my feelings or I'll burst! I'm overwhelmed with the cards, notes, gifts, extra gifts, helping hands, offers to do anything for us, hugs, smiles, genuine eyes of expression, friendships, and words of counsel, memories and so much more! I want to take each of you aside and personally express how each one has touched my life, but since that's not possible right now, I will attempt to express through words on our convenient blog!

My dear friends, the notes from the baby shower really topped the day and happiness inside me is overflowing! I hope you know how we cherish these times and are so glad you are an integral part of these moments with us!

The happiness I feel in my heart right now matches the happiness I felt on my wedding day - and we don't even have our baby yet!:) It is indescribable! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I think Ryan would feel this strongest feeling in his heart, too, if he wasn't so busy with life right now. But, he appreciates it just as much as I do. You can rest assured of that.

We love you!

Hayley

Destination... where?

2008-06-09T13:41:00.004-06:00

Riding FrontRunner as part of my commute has been an overall very enjoyable experience. But lately I have been wondering if I was in Texas or New York. Let me explain.

Have you ever been to an airport and sat in the terminal and watched people? I guess that's a secret hobby of mine. People can be so interesting. I get the same satisfaction, oftentimes, from sitting on the train. I consider myself a pretty normal guy and know that never has anyone ever looked at me and thought "What about that guy!?" Check out the pics.

So there's this guy that was on the train that was actually wearing spurs. It was amazing. He seemed like an average guy from the ankles up, but who really wears spurs these days? He didn't look like a cowboy, in fact he spent most of the time on the phone discussing his construction business. But there he was on the train with spurs. Just in case, I guess, the train got out of line at all, he could just ram his heels into it and get it under control.

Today I spotted a guy who would fit in to the New York subway system just fine. I really don't want to sound too judgmental, but his appearance was so striking it was hard not to notice. The mohawk, ear, eye, nose and mouth piercings (that was all that was visible), and the fatigues all added up to an extraordinary experience. The best part was that his music was so loud. He had it blasting so loud I could hear it with my headphones and music going 2 benches away. One of these days he'll wonder why he can't hear anymore. As he was listening he bobbed his head around as if dancing to the tune.

My experiences on the train have led me to ponder a book documenting them, but here I'll give them out for free. There have been many others. Like the guy that was laughing on the train out loud while he watched a movie on his laptop. That was classic. Or the lady that ate the tuna croissant sandwich in about 4 bites and made a huge mess of her, the train, and others.

If any of these people are you or distant cousins, please accept my apologies. I do not mean to be offensive but merely discuss fascinating habits and peculiarities of others.

Where can you even buy spurs?

"It's not the years, it's the mileage"

2008-06-05T23:11:00.002-06:00

After a very painful week, we did go to the movie theater Saturday and watch Indiana Jones. I have heard both good and bad about it but I really liked it. True, it may not be on the same level as Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade but I thought it was very entertaining. Isn't that what we go to movies for?

I bought these sacred M&M's a while back. I didn't want to eat them until after I saw the movie. Now, I can partake of the chocolates in complete satisfaction knowing that I have fulfilled my mission.

Oh, The Shame!

2008-05-27T09:58:00.006-06:00

I spent all the time enhancing our blog in preparation for the big Indiana Jones movie opening last week. I even wore my Indiana Jones polo shirt to work on Thursday in celebration. But, I am sad to report that we did not watch the movie over the weekend. The news said it was the second biggest Memorial Day opening weekend ever (behind Pirates) but out of the $131 million it made, not one penny came from me. Because of the blog, many have asked both of us how we liked the movie. Each time I have to hang my head in shame. I really wanted to, but other things took priority. We had 5 hours of yard work to do Saturday, house cleaning, adoption visits, phone calls and paperwork, family activities, eating, sleeping and playing the Wii.
Please don't judge us too harshly for our lack of participation in the summer's biggest attraction. Those of you who have delighted in the new release, feel free not to rub it in. We will be there soon and I hope I can still be considered a huge fan... or at least a medium-sized fan.
By the way, I have watched the preview many times if that counts for anything...

FINALLY!

2008-05-19T22:01:00.002-06:00

Can you believe the bathroom remodel project is finally complete! We put the final touches on tonight, cleaned and decorated. There will still be some enhancements, but at least we can move in, brush our teeth and shower. In my infinite wisdom, I thought it would be a weekend project. The final tally: 41 days, 11 trips to Lowe's, a midnight run to Wal-Mart, 2 stops at Standard Plumbing and an undisclosed amount of $$. All in all, we are very proud of our first home improvement project. Thanks to Dad (Russ) who was a big help, too!

Indiana Jones

2008-05-15T08:23:00.004-06:00

I have waited long enough to write this post. Now that Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull opening is one week from today, I can hardly contain the excitement. Though we probably will not watch it opening day, I expect at some point over the weekend we'll be sitting in the movie theater with a bucket of butter-soaked popcorn and eyes fixed on the action in front of us. Two days ago while doing 3 hours of ironing we put in The Last Crusade. "Germany has declared war on the Jones boys."
My all-time favorite movie is Raiders Of The Lost Ark. I have always been a fan. How can it not be a favorite with a line like: "Didn't you guys ever go to Sunday School?" Whenever we go to Disneyland Indiana Jones is the first ride to go on. A few years ago, when our family went during a slow time for D-Land, my brother Scott and I rode it 10 or 12 times. Sweet!
Don't worry, I won't put on my fedora, don a whip or a leather jacket when I go to the movie. I believe I will go as an ordinary guy. But have you ever wondered about the people that dress up in their Halloween-best when attending movies? I'm thinking light-sabers and all. I have posted a new poll. Just curious to know if any of you reading this have ever dressed in a costume for a movie. Don't worry, the poll is anonymous.
Enjoy the show!

Miracle Balloon

2008-04-22T21:36:00.003-06:00

A month ago, my good friends and visiting teachers, Dalynne and Rebecca delivered this big yellow smiley balloon when I was sick on a Sunday afternoon. Tied to the end of the balloon was a Snickers bar. Although the Snickers is long gone, the smiley balloon is still floating high. I've never seen a helium balloon last this long - it's a miracle! Little did they know this balloon would be a comfort to me many days and nights in our room. Thank gals for taking such good care of me.

Got more than paint?

2008-04-22T18:45:00.007-06:00

Here's a few updates on our bathroom remodeling. We laid the tile on Friday night and about 8:30 that night Ryan said, "Are you going to be okay without water for a couple of hours?" I told him that we should be fine and then away he went at attempting with every idea he had to get the crimped ring off the toilet mechanism. Wow, he pried with all his might and would you believe it, he accomplished the impossible. We later found out the only way to get that ring off is to cut the pipe. He mended it best he could and said, "Okay, I'm going to turn our water back on, if water sprays just yell at me." Sure enough, the water sprayed and sprayed for about a minute, Ryan couldn't here me upstairs from where he was in the crawl space downstairs, so I finally yelled over the stairs and by that time, we had to use 5 big towels to soak up all the water. We were up the next morning, at 5:30ish ready for a trip to Lowe's to get the necessary part. What an adventure! Needless to say we were grateful for 2 liter bottles of water we had in our food storage, they came in handy that night. Enjoy the pics! Oh yeah, the frowny face on Ryan is because he chose to retire his work pants of many years and it was a sentimental moment. Isn't his pouty face so cute? I can just picture him as a baby with that pouty face! I'm sure he got away with a lot with that face.

Not Enough Osmonds

2008-04-17T08:54:00.002-06:00

I came across this article and it was too funny to not share with others.

From CNN.com:

At Wednesday night’s Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C., former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave his “Top 10 Reasons for Dropping Out of the Race":

10. There weren't as many Osmonds as I thought.
9. I got tired of corkscrew landings under sniper fire.
8. As a lifelong hunter, I didn't want to miss the start of the varmint season.
7. There wasn’t room for two Christian leaders.
6. I was upset that no one had bothered to search my passport files.
5. I needed an excuse to get fat, grow a beard and win the Nobel prize.
4. I took a bad fall at a campaign rally and broke my hair.
3. I wanted to finally take off that dark suit and tie, and kick back in a light-colored suit and tie.
2. Once my wife Ann realized I couldn't win, my fundraising dried up.
1. There was a miscalculation in our theory: "As Utah goes, so goes the nation.”