Monster, Fish or None of the Above

I knit this hat for my little Cooper man. Initially, it was to be a monster with a mohawk, but now it looks like a fish to me. I think the last minute decision to add spikey bits to the sides may look like swim fins.

What say you?

The Tell Tale Busy Bee

Alas! A tragedy has befallen us.



Do you recall Busy Bee? T'was nearly a month ago when I posted the above photograph and told you all about Cooper's beloved plush toy. When you squeezed Busy Bee, his cheeks would blink red and the lullaby, "Rock-A-Bye Baby" filled the air.

Now...the house is filled with silence. The Silence of the Bees!

After countless hours of being drooled on and chewed apart, Busy Bee was looking rather grungy. I knew it had a magical sing-songy microchip inside, so the washing machine was not an option. My mother suggested that I hand wash it. I took a sponge and some Dreft detergent and went to town. SCRUBBA SCRUBBA SCRUBBA. Then I hung Mr. Bee up on the shower curtain rod to dry.

An hour later, Cooper was napping and I was watching the Jennifer Anniston thriller Derailed. (BTW, it ain't that good. I only watched it to see Clive Owen. He intrigues me. Don't judge.) All of a sudden, I hear Busy Bee whining in the bathroom. The toy started singing non-stop like it was possessed! Not knowing what else to do, I kept squeezing the thing in hopes that it would cease. Finally, it shut up. I assumed that once the toy was dry, all would resume normal.

Hubby came home from work several hours later. After we had put Cooper to bed, Jakob was working on the computer and I was painting. Then, we heard it. It startled both of us. Busy Bee was relentlessly sounding off.

"Did you put Busy Bee in with Cooper?" he asked.

I explained that Busy Bee was malfunctioning and it was all my fault. In my efforts to clean the bee, I got him wet and now he was wailing like a banshee in our shower. We could NOT stop it.

"Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top. Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top. Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top. Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top. Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top."

We couldn't throw Busy away. This was Cooper's favorite thing. There was only one option.



I couldn't bring myself to perform the surgery. Jakob made a careful incision in the bee's midsection and removed the microchip thingamajig.



We gutted Busy Bee and through his innards in the trash. His cheeks no longer blink. He no longer sings. He's mute.



I did suture the wound.

Here's the kicker. The next day, as Cooper and I went for our daily walk to the park, we passed by the dumpster. And what did we hear emanating from beneath the stacked garbage bags? I kid you not! The sickly warped tune of 'Rock-A-Bye Baby'. I had to laugh.

The question is, will Cooper notice a change in BB?



Nah. Coop's fine. But sometimes, during these chilly autumn nights, I think I still hear the bee sing.

Must you haunt me the rest if my days, Busy Bee?

When I look in the mirror, I can't believe what I see. Tell me who's that funky dude starin back at me!

My child enjoys the rock n' roll music.



Sure, he still enjoys the calypso (The Banana Boat Song) and the reggae, but he's expanding his musical horizons. Here he is doing so while lounging on the couch. He has the whole 'slacker rock,' attitude down pat.



Weezer is a winner in our household. As you can see, it makes Coop drool with excitment. Look at him foaming at the mouth! My word! He's a rabid rock fan.



I hold him on my hip and the two of us dance around to The Blue Album. He smiles when I sing the "Ewwww Weeeeee Ewwwww" part in Buddy Holly. Cooper thinks the band was better when Matt Sharp was still in the group. I tend to agree.

Cooper likes anything that marries rock with a poppy sound. He enjoys The Foo Fighters, The White Stripes, David Bowie, The Talking Heads, Pearl Jam, The Pixies, Primus and Modest Mouse. He likes classic rock, too. He's into The Who, Iggy & The Stooges, and Queen.



Is there any music that he doesn't like? Yes. I tried to put on some Aimee Mann the other day and he threw a hissy fit. I switched over to Fiona Apple and the situation got even worse. What the heck? Perhaps he was struggling with some gas. Perhaps it was daddy's influence surfacing. Jakob likes his songstresses less Lilith Fair and more Riot GRRRL.

Like father, like son.

Sizing Up the Exersaucer

BEHOLD THE WONDERMENT OF THE EXCERSAUCER!



MARVEL AT THE BLUE HORSEY, THE GREEN ELEPHANT AND THE SPINNING THINGY THAT MAKES LOTS OF NOISE!



Since Coop's been able to hold his head up for a while now, we decided to give him a turn in this newfangled 'Exersaucer.'



It's like he's working in his own little cubicle.



"Ok. Let me just check my inbox here by the plastic circus seal and catch up on a few 'to do' items like, "squeezing the rubber tiger until it sqeaks," and "smacking the toy monkeys around."



Surrounded by a slew of new bells and whistles, Cooper still find his drool towel to be the most fascinating toy.

An Afternoon of Dolphins & Giraffes

This may end up being a photo that the future 'teenage Cooper' might wish never existed. Too bad! All kids have goofy pictures of themselves from when they were babies. This green and white striped ensemble was a gift from my good friend Carrie and he looks precious in it.



As you can see, this romper has a dolphin on it. That got Cooper and I talking all about dolphins. He thought they were fish. I had to set him straight and let him know that they were actually mammals. I explained that they're warm-blooded, breath air and feed their young with milk that they produce themselves. He seemed confused. It might be a bit much for him to digest at this juncture since he has not yet learned any words.



One word that Cooper might learn ahead of schedule is 'giraffe.' He seems to have lots of giraffes in his collection. I painted him a giraffe for his wall. He has three different onesies, two blankets and a set of crib sheets with giraffes on them. And now daddy gave him this giraffe with what appears to be very heavy eyelids. Geez, Mr. Giraffe. Get some sleep. You need an Ambien? I have one in my purse.



Well the giraffe's name is Gerry, (He came with that name. It's on the tag.) and it looks like he's an instant fave. Cooper and I talked a little bit about giraffes. I told him that giraffes have spots covering their entire bodies, except their underbellies, and each giraffe has a unique pattern of spots. He nodded at me and then licked Gerry's face.

I love our conversations on zoology.

For more new pictures of Coop, click here to visit Flickr.

3 months

You turned three months old on Sunday. My lord! Look at you! I have a hard time believing that this is the same little baby I took home from the hospital. Back then you looked like a tiny, helpless bird fresh out of the egg. Now, you're a BEHEMOTH! You outgrew the overalls that GrAnnemarie bought you, so we had to get you new ones. You must like the corduroy texture because you chomp on it all the live long day.



This picture proves without a doubt that you are related to Joe Charbonneau! You've got the eyes of an outlaw, a 'spit-eating' grin and an expression that says, "Hey, you gotta love me!!!" You don't know how very "Grampa Joe" that is.

Not sure why your hair is turning red. Your Irish side much be shining through.



I am such a lucky mommy. Your dad and I can't get over how incredible you are. And the weird thing is, each day I love you even more. I knew I had a big heart, but you make it grow and grow and grow with everything you do.

Love you, Cooper Kingsley! Happy three month milestone!

If you just can't get enough Cooper, click here to view more photos on Flickr.

Kickoff Weekend

As you can see, Cooper is thrilled for his first real football season. He was in utero last year and it was really hard for him to hear the television.



Cooper and I would like to give a super big 'thank you' to my godparents, Aunt Tricia & Uncle Joe Penabad, for the Tom Brady jersey. Cooper never wants to take it off. And, of course, the look is completed when you add a Patriots bottle cozy and a squishy toy football (thanks Uncle Awol).



Coop even showed me his 'Roughneck' game face. Check it out! He's a mean football machine! Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!

For more photos of Cooper sporting his Patriots jersey, click here to visit Flickr.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

No raindrops on roses here, bub. The big three (in order of 'most drooled on') are as follows:



This is Cooper's 'Fun With The Sun,' toy. It's a plush thingy made by the good folks at Lamaze. It rattles and squeaks and has a moon on the opposite side. Coop doesn't care for the moon side. He clearly prefers the sunny side. And why not? "You Are My Sunshine," and "Here Comes the Sun," are two of his favorite songs.



This is Cooper's cloth book about an orange fish, a green leaf, a blue butterfly, a yellow banana, a pink car, a red ladybug and a purple balloon.



He finds it a riveting and yummy read. He gets particularly exited about the pink car. Perhaps that's because of my stellar sounds effects, "VROOOM VROOOM!!! BEEP BEEP!" They're quite convincing. I did go to acting school. (Don't just "act" the pink car, BE the pink car.)

And finally...



This is 'Busy Bee.'



It's a bee who has cheeks that flash red and sings 'Rock-a-Bye-Baby.' Jakob found this toy creepy right away, so of course Cooper was draw to it. Busy bee goes everywhere we go.



Check out Cooper's 'Don't-mess-with-my-busy-bee' face. What tude!



It's also very tasty. He chews it. He tries to pull the wings off. He loves it.



Well, Cooper's just exhausted from showing off his toys. He'll have to show you 'Rupert The Hawaiian Monkey' some other time.

Political Fashion For The Modern Progressive Infant

Cooper feels we should foster democracy on this planet through example & compassion, not coercive warmongering.

Earlier today he said, "Ahgoooooooogak," which you all know is baby speak for, "Fight the Power."

The Yick Abounds

I'm familiar with that emotion.

Cooper had a rough morning. I'm not sure what the problem was. He was all sorts of peed off. It drove me to tears. Eventually he fell asleep. I proceeded to make myself a 'no sugar added' peanut butter sandwich and cry all over it. (I know. Pathetic. It's so 'The Hours.' Mrs. Dalloway decided to buy the flowers herself...)

Truth be told, I've got the mommy blues. I'm tired. I'm frumpy. I feel burnt. And the worse thing is, I feel awful that I feel awful. I've got an amazingly awesome child. He's beautiful. He's hilarious. He's rarely upset. I have no right to complain. And although my husband is such a tremendous help, I feel alone. It's terribly unjustified. There's never been a husband/daddy more devoted. But nevertheless, I can't shake this...I'm not sure what to call it. It's yucky. It's yicky. It's yick. And I need it to vanish.

I'm sure I'll snap out of it. I am a joyful girl and all.

It's All Good

Andrew asked me how parenthood feels.



Well, Cooper gave me the thumbs up, so I guess I'm doing ok as a mommy.

Motherhood lives up to the hype in every way. It can be overwhelming. Especially at 2am if Cooper's fussy and I go to change him and he explodes and there's "spin art" everywhere. Or when we play and he's having a blast and then out of nowhere he gets bored, overstimulated or gassy and the day takes a turn for the worse. Or I start to imagine all the trouble and/or danger he could get in when he starts crawling, walking, playing sports, dating, driving, and so on. It doesn't matter if your kid is 2 months, 16 years or 36 years. You are a parent from here on out. There are many things in life that you can quit or back out of. Being mommy is not one of them. That's a big feeling.



And then I get one of these smiles. And every moment that seemed hard before becomes effortless. It sounds trite, but it's magic. There are times when he's so happy that he kicks his legs and he lets out a large squeal. There are times when I see him touch something and his eyes get big and I can see him learning. Those moments rock my world. That's a bigger feeling. Thanks, Cooper.

For more of these disgustingly adorable photos, click here to visit Flickr.

Uncles Are Rad

There's Uncle Jordan, Uncle Scott, Honary Uncle Andrew and now:



UNCLE SEAN!!

Cooper finally got to meet Sean and he was enthralled. I could almost hear his thoughts. "This dood is sort of like my dad but without the furry face. " Sean danced & sang with Coop during the entire visit. Cooper ate it up. He loved all the delicious attention.



As you can see, Cooper had a blast impressing Sean's girlfriend Casey. My lord is this kid a flirt! Look at him turning on the charm. Laying on the cuteness as thick as he can. He's shameless!!!! How can you not fall in love!?!



We had a sushi night. We played Super Monkey Ball. We ate at Cooper's favorite breakfast joint, Bob's Big Boy. It was a lovely visit.

Cooper looks forward to meeting Uncle Owen this December so he can say (or babble in baby talk) that he knows all his uncles.

For more photos of Sean & Casey's West Coast Adventure with Cooper, click here to visit Flickr.

Tummy Time!

I'm not sure why, but Cooper usually becomes VERY agitated when we place him on his belly. The doctor told us that allowing Coop some supervised tummy time is great for developing the muscles needed for sitting up and crawling. Unfortunately whenever Jakob or I placed him on his stomach, he'd started screeching like a raging banshee. He was frustrated with the weight of his head and his neck's inability to fully support it.

But then today...



At first, he made this grimace/sneer, as if to say, "MOM! You are aware that I don't dig this!"



About 30 seconds went by. I waited for him to unleash a cry of discomfort. I was delighted when his usual wailing was replaced with an adorable sigh and a SMILE. That's right. He actually smiled! About five full minutes went by before he finally was overcome by the experience and decided to complain. Still, t'was a golden success.



To see more new photos, click here to visit Flickr.

My Baby's Daddy

Back in college, I'd watch you perform on stage. You had talent. You had gusto. I'd think, "Damn. He's alluring."

Occasionally I'd visit you at the Kendall Square Cinema. You'd be working hard for $6.50/hour. You'd be well coifed with a newly pressed shirt and a tie that said, "Chief of Staff." We'd hang out and chat and I'd think, "Damn. He's fetching."

Sometimes we'd go for twilight walks in Beacon Hill. You'd use equal parts charm and goofiness to make me laugh. I'd laugh so hard that I'd snort. I'd think, "Damn. He's irresistible."



But listen up husband of mine. This is truly sexy. This makes me weak in the knees. Seeing you be an awesome daddy to Cooper makes me fall in love with you all over again. Only this time around I've grown bigger, you've grown furrier and there are fewer nights of drunken debauchery. Still, I swoon.

Red Sox & Sucking

Dear Red Sox,

I have been a Red Sox fan all my life. (All 75 days of it.) Pardon my french, but you guys are playing like stinky poo! This past weekend my dad and I had plans to relax on the ol' couch and watch a little baseball. It was anything but relaxing, let me tell you! I threw up twice! My dad did not actually puke, but the number of walks made him nauseous. I heard my daddy use some colorful new language like, "heck" and "son of a bee sting!" A five game series and those Yankee bums (again, pardon my french) swept us??? My father was really cheesed and so was I!

I thought last night would be different. It was a new team, a new coast, and a new day! I was sorely disappointed. I needed my pacifier the WHOLE NIGHT! I even put on my official Red Sox "Rally Onesee," but to no avail. I soiled it. My father said it was symbolic.

Is this what being a Red Sox fan means? Geesh! I guess I need to get used to this gut-punched/heart-broke feeling. Or I need to become a Dodgers fan. I do look good in blue.

I'm going to do some soul searching via a much needed nap.



Miserably Devoted to You,

Cooper Kinsley White

Team Zissou Master Frogman

Cooper (Kingsley) White



People ask where the heck we got "Kingsley" for Cooper's middle name. The idea came from the movie The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. In the film, Zissou (played by Bill Murray) meets a man claiming to be his long lost son, Ned (played by Owen Wilson). This is the transcript from a scene between the two characters:

ZISSOU - You think you'll want to change your name?

NED - Ned?

ZISSOU- No, not the Ned part. Unless you want to. I meant your last name. I thought you might like to let me give you mine.

NED - Ned Zissou.

ZISSOU - Ned Zissou. Exactly. Or, if you want to, you can change the first part too. I would have named you Kingsley, if I'd had a say in it.

And that's where it originated. It's sort of a joke. Funny, huh? I'm sure Cooper will think we're total pains in the butt. But hey, aren't parents supposed to be pains in the butt?



Anyhow I found this cool onesie online and I knitted the hat.

Tee hee.

For more photos, click here to visit Flickr.