Bristol Renaissance Faire

Mama & Daddy had an afternoon out with Auntie Zibba & Sean while Grandma watched Coop. We went to the Bristol Renaissance Faire last year, and LOVED it, so we decided to go back this year. This place is full of people who legit dress up as if they were in the renaissance period. Zibba & I have decided that we are going to dress up, corset & all, next year. We cannot wait to bring Coop, he'll for sure love to chew on a turkey leg & watch the jousting!

Zibba & Sean throwing axes

She's the big to my little

Our pretty crowns!!!

Cooper Goes to the Zoo!

We took advantage of the beautiful day & went with Auntie Zibba & Uncle Sean to Brookfield Zoo. I always loved going to the zoo as a kid, and even more so when I got older. AJ & I have been to the zoo so many times. We love Boo at the Zoo, & Zoo lights & cannot wait to take Cooper in the coming years! 

Dolphin Show! 

Stingray Bay

BEST FACE EVER! 

Mama & Munchkin Must Haves | Months 1-3

Since I spent the first few months of my pregnancy working 24 hour shifts on the ambulance I had a lot of time to do a ton of research, make countless lists and think (and try and plan for) what the first few months of Cooper's life would be like. After surviving the first three months of Cooper's life, I decided to compile a list of Mama & Munchkin Must Haves. For me for baby #2, for anyone else who is expecting a baby, or anyone who is trying to buy things for an expecting mother. I obviously am no professional when it comes to parenting, but these are the things that have worked for us and I would swear by them.

Breast pump: I use the Medela electric double pump that I received through my insurance company. Yes people, that's really a thing. My mom had bought me a Medela pump during the Black Friday sales last year, but then I found out that a woman's insurance company must pay for a breast pump. So, we got that and it was essentially the same pump that I already had except it was the medical grade version. I got the go-ahead to start pumping for CJ when he was 4 weeks old. I pumped one fresh bottle a day for him for the next month or so, and then he started getting previously pumped milk that was warmed up, as I started pumping more and more often. He still only gets one bottle a day, if that. I nurse him 99% of the time, which is easiest on all of us, especially in the middle of the night.
Nursing pillow: Cooper not only uses this for nursing but he also sleeps on it since he loves sleeping on his side. Cooper hated sleeping in his bassinet from day one, so he would sleep in bed with us, cuddled up next to me, lying on his nursing pillow. I know there are plenty of people who are against co-sleeping, but, it works for us. I am honestly most concerned with us both getting the most sleep as possible.
Bottles: We use the Joovy Boob bottles & they're amazing for switching back and forth between nursing and using a bottle
Pacis: We use Avent Soothies I did not want to use pacifiers, however, there came a point after Cooper was four weeks old that I was going bonkers with his crying/fussiness that I decided to give him one. He, of course, would not take one of his (semi) cute pacifiers. He only wanted the huge, ugly soothie pacifiers.. I chose to pick my battles, and fighting over the appearance of the paci was not a priority.
Swaddle blankets: Aden & Anais muslin swaddle blankets are the best. We also have their easy swaddle blankets, which are also very nice, but Cooper always hated to be swaddled so we never really got to use them.
Infant tub: We love our 4moms infant tub, it fits him perfectly, the old water gets washed out as new water gets brought in. The water never gets cold, and with the built in thermometer, you can make sure it's always the right temperature.
Rocker/Swing: We received the 4moms MamaRoo at our baby shower, but Cooper doesn't seem to enjoy it too much so we went out and bought him a Graco Duet Connect 2-in-1 Swing and Rocker combo that he absolutely loves... We actually have three of them, one for each of the grandparent's homes and one for us.
Noise maker/night light: This is very helpful for when baby is napping and you're trying to get 10825084082 things done..
Video Monitor: We love our Levana Stella PTZ baby monitor.  It can pretty much pan/tilt/zoom wherever we want it to, we can talk to Cooper through it, play music and put it on standby mode to save battery. Its night vision is awesome, and the huge screen with its clear picture is really beneficial when you're paranoid like me and have to check if the baby is breathing all of the time.
Pack'n'Play: We have the Graco Pack'n'Play Cuddle Cove LX and couldn't be happier. Cooper used the bassinet feature in it to take naps for the first few months because he loved the vibration feature on it and the sides snuggle up around him as if he was being held. The changing table is super sturdy and really handy after you have a c-section and don't want to lift the baby up to the top of the dresser where you have the changing pad, or lean over said dresser to change the baby. It is also super helpful when traveling to grandparents house, etc. As if Cooper were ever to be put down when we're over there, it's nice to have the option for him to have somewhere safe to sleep. This will also be where he sleeps when we go up to the Farm in Wisconsin.

I keep a basket with granola bars, nutragrain bars, fruit snacks etc., water bottles and nursing pads next to the rocker that I use to nurse Cooper. It's great to have these things handy, especially when I have a sleeping babe on my lap and don't want to move him, but am absolutely starving or ridiculously parched. 

3 Months

Happy three month birthday, Little Man. Daddy & I cannot get over how big you are getting. You are developing such a little personality everyday. We can literally see the wheels turning in that head of yours when we look into those beautiful baby blues of yours. We cannot wait to see those little teeth come out! 

How old: 3 months:

Looks like: Yep, Daddy still

Weight: 16 lbs 2 oz

Height: 24 inches

Likes: standing whenever possible, bouncing, tolerating tummy time, giving big smiles, hanging out with Daddy, being a little chatter box, watching the fish at Grandma & Grandpa’s, putting his fingers in his mouth.. all the time.

Dislikes: still not sure about tummy time and teething

Milestones: The teething process has begun at 10 weeks.. Cue the overwhelming amounts of drool, hands (his or anyone else’s) in his mouth at all times, and fussy teething tantrums.

The picture we used for Cooper's christening invitation. Love it! <3 

We are in full party planning mode around here as we prepare for Cooper's christening in a few weeks. It sure takes a lot of work (& money) to plan a party for a baby. Not like inviting people over for a BBQ and a few beers that's for sure! We cannot wait to see little man in his adorable white suit that Auntie Zibba bought for him. Hopefully he doesn't freak out when they pour the water on his head! 

Coop loves to match Uncle Alex 

I love my boys <3

We're All About The Red, White & Baby Around Here!

It was a beautiful day here on the 4th so we spent the afternoon hanging outside, letting little man enjoy the sun! AJ took the doors off of his Jeep while Mama & Baby played on the lawn. 

At night, Grandma watched Cooper while AJ & I went to see fireworks. We always go to Oak Brook fireworks, and sit in the mall parking garage because those are the best seats. However, this year, they had the parking garage closed off! We ended up just finding parking in the lot, and were somewhat disappointed in the show this year. It wasn't as good as it normally is, but hey, at least we had a fun night out! 

Happy 4th Of July!!