Thank Goodness I Married This Guy

My husband came home, fed Cooper, diapered Cooper, made me a drink, drew me a bath, presented me with a fancy cake, put Cooper to bed, ordered me dinner and (this shows true love) let me watch a cheesy horror flick on cable that we've already seen before. Why? Because I'm a goof who enjoys making immature jokes and talking through a bad film rather than viewing something new.

The cake was special ordered. It's a tri-level mousse cake with white chocolate shavings (dusted with dark chocolate) adorning the top. This cake is a work of art! I feel like the queen of Burbank!

He knows me so well.



The top of the cake says, "Mom." Jakob says, "It's from Cooper."

Thank goodness I married this guy.

My 29th Year.

The thought of another birthday was sort of annoying. I remember being a pre-teen and complaining to my mother saying, "I do not want to become an adult. Do I really have to grow up?" I feel the same at 29 that I did at 12.

29 is even more frustrating than say 24 or 26. I feel like time went and ran out on me. Can you still conquer the world at 29? Wasn't I supposed to be a hot, steamy pile of success prior to age 27?

Then, out of nowhere, this birthday decided to make me think. The thoughts that came to mind were important.

My godparents, Joe & Trisha Penabad, never forget my birthday. With everything in their own lives, they send me a card every year. They have such tremendous love and care. I appreciate it so much.

Carrie Seigel always sends me a card. It made me think about how she's so good with dates. She remembers every birthday and anniversary. At nearly thirty, I want to be better at that stuff.

My sister Danielle gave me a gift certificate to a spa. I was so moved that I cried. I've been trying to take better care of my body and a massage with a eucalyptus rub will certainly do the trick. I don't usually say this, but I totally deserve it.

I got a card & gift from Andrew Wollman. It made me think about how he used to be a good friend, but now he's family to Jakob, Cooper and I. He's not, "like a brother to me." He's my brother.

This was followed by loving phone calls from Alex Bakalarz who offered up his traditional Colombian blessing ("Hope you live 120 years!"), Karen Stein who plans to take me to see Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D (Yay!) & Mark Fortin who has a knack for making me feel goofy, playful and wise all at the same time. My phone rang all day.



Lizzy Cooperman came over and we had a delicious lunch. You don't know if the friends you have when you turn 20 are the friends you'll know when you turn 30. I am a lucky gal.

My mother-in-law called. So many people kvetch about their in-laws. I thank my lucky stars that I have her in my corner. She's good people.

My mother found THE gift for me. It's a leopard print sewing box with faux fur trim. It's TO DIE FOR! My father made an audiotape for Cooper of him singing. Joe Charbonneau croons the classics! Cooper loves it. He tries to sing along.



As Cooper and Marvelous Marvin Monkey sang, 'Happy Birthday to Mommy,' I fully recognized that this is not merely the end of my twenties. I'm on the precipice of something huge. Something's telling me that 30 is not the curse I have imagined it to be. Something's telling me that 30 is going to be the start of something big.



Tonight, I'm spending the evening in. When Jakob gets home, he's going to put Cooper to bed. I get to take a long, luxuriated bath until my hands get all pruney. Then, I'm going to eat a gargantuan piece of cake and order a movie On Demand. This may be the best birthday yet.

EEE-I-EEE-I-OHHHHHH

Did I mention that my child gibber gabbers non-stop?



It's true. He's just as gregarious as his mommy. Cooper has found his inner yolp. That's the best way to describe it. It's a growling, excited OWWWWW sound. I think he found this noise while we were singing, "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," with these fun hand puppets. (Thanks, Sue!) Now, he does it all the live long day.



He experiments with both the volume and pitch of this sound. Normally, his "words," have a deep, guttural tone, but today he found his upper register.



I like his new chat chitting much better than crying.



Now do me a favor, Cooper. Learn this:

MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA!!!!

Cooper, Meet Jessica. Jessica, Meet Cooper.

Jessica Trimble and I have been close friends for years. We've laughed and suffered together through so much. From a fantastically disastrous cross-country road trip to numerous agonizing theater productions, we've endured many incidents of weirdness and pee-your-pants-giggling fun.

But could anything prepare her for the grand master of silliness, Cooper Kingsley?



They got along famously. Cooper enjoyed the, "Touch My Nose and Make a Sound Game," that Jess played with him. They made up goofy songs together. She babysat him. They went for a walk in the park. He made a humungoid poop for her. T'was love, indeed.

Seeing them play together made me think about all the East Coast people in my life. I used to want them close for selfish reasons, so we could hang out and have martinis and joke about our futures. Now, I wish they were here for my kid. I want those folks to be in Cooper's life.



The day after she left on a jet plane, a package arrived from Jessica for Cooper. It was a Fisher Price Crib Aquarium. It plays soft, sweet music, while colorful fish flutter along and lights twinkle and bubbles float by. It's freakin' adorable.



Cooper loves it. He's fallen asleep to it the last couple of nights.

Thank you, Jess. I wish you lived next door. My family feels the same way.

4 months

You weigh 15 pounds. You are 25 inches long. You are my son. You are...well, it's hard to find a word to describe how cool you are.



We read together every day.



Your favorite book is Please Do Not Open This Book. It's a pop up book staring lovable, furry ol' Grover from Sesame Street. He keeps warning you and I not to turn the pages because there's a monster at the end of the book. Each time we get to the final page and it is revealed that Grover himself is the monster at the end of the book, you giggle with delight.



You dig art! You stare at my paintings like you're trying to figure them out. You adore the big Art Up Close book. We start at ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and go all the way through to Jackson Pollock's splatter paintings. You try to turn the pages yourself. And you talk the whole time. With each new artwork, so many GOOOOOO GAAAAAAAH AHUUUUUU sounds bubble out of you.



Dr. Arboleda says it's fine to give you some mushy rice cereal. Solid foods. I do believe it's time. Whenever I'm eating my breakfast oatmeal, you watch intently with this bewildered look on your face as if to say, "WHAT are you DOING and WHEN can I do it?"



You don't like wearing socks or shoes. You remove the pacifier from your mouth when you meet new people, as if to say, "I don't need this thing. I can quit anytime." When someone holds you, you like to show off by standing up in their lap and talking to them. When you were a newborn, my job was to care for you and do everything in my power to make you thrive. Now, I still do that, but I'm getting to know you, too. You're a great person. I can already tell. You are so very 'Cooper.'

If Wishes & Buts Were Oats & Nuts, We'd All Have a Bowl of Granola

Jakob and I have always been able to live without a lot of money. But it's no longer just the two of us. We are a family of three and it's looking like a single income will not afford us our apartment, food and modern conveniences like electricity. I will have to return to work.



It's not that I dislike working. When I was working, I liked it just fine. I may even have been rather good at it. But thinking about leaving Cooper with a nonrelative is giving me a slight panic attack.



Will a nanny (or MANny) play, "Here Comes Mr. Turtle," as good as me? I doubt it.



Maybe. Maybe I'll find a great caregiver for a great price and it will all work out just dandy.



Yeeks. This is gonna break my heart.

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.