Cooper is 11 months old!

Dear Cooper,

Today, you are 11 months old! This is your last monthly pic before you turn the big number 1!

I love how you've become a momma's boy already! I can't tell you how happy it makes my heart to see your smile every morning. You've been such a perfect baby and I couldn't ask for anything more from you.

I don't know where the time is going but I've teasured every moment of our first 11 months together. I can't wait to get to know you even better with the passing days...

I'll love you, forever~

Momma

PT/OT/ST...oh my!

Cooper is officially in all three therapy disciplines: physical, speech and occupational. I feel like we're there all the time!

Physical therapy: Cooper is still unable to sit-up, crawl or bear weight on his legs. His PT has said that he is at a 6 month old level. He works so hard during his sessions and at home so I know it's just a matter of time. Every now and then, he'll sit-up unsupported for like 10 seconds and he'll bear some weight on his legs for a brief moment...and, that's progress! He's rolling all over the place now though! He can't crawl but he is mobile! He sees something on the other side of the room and will roll to it! He has the biggest smile on his face when he finally gets there and that smile brings joy to my heart~

Speech therapy: For the record, this has nothing to do with him talking which confuses people. Hypotonia affects EVERY muscle in the body which includes his tongue, his throat muscles and even the muscles around his lips. His tongue is weak which makes it difficult for it to move the food down his throat and more often than not the food pockets in the side of his mouth. He also is unable to use a sippy cup because his mouth can't get around the spout tight enough. It still takes him about 30+ minutes to do a bottle. She's going to teach him how to swallow correctly, move up to finger foods, use a sippy cup and straw...eventually, we'll move up to language and then he'll be able to tell us the meaning of life, you know those sorts of things....

Occupational therapy: Everyone seems to find this one hilarious because Cooper doesn't even have a job...yeah, that joke is getting old! This therapy helps him with his fine motor skills. He had his eval today and she has him at a 7 month old level. His fingers are weak so he uses his palms to pick up things so he needs to work on using his fingers more. He has now started some imitating like clapping when you clap but she wants him to start doing these things on a more consistent basis. She was very impressed with how well he follows commands and how he concentrates on you very hard so you can tell that he's trying to figure out how to do things.

Overall, we've got a lot of work ahead of us but I'm there with him every step of the way. He's an inspiration for me because he has such a sweet spirit despite everything that goes on with therapy. Everyone loves him at the therapy place...who wouldn't, really? ;)

Savannah take 2

We went on a family vacation with my mom, dad, my siblings and their kids (minus the twins) last weekend to Savannah. We haven't all been on a trip together in years so it was a real joy to be able to hang out together for 3 days in a row. We went to a local cemetery that is so beautiful that they turned it into a park, we went down River Street, Fort Pulaski, Tybee Island, Forsyth Park, another ghost tour, and ate some great food.

The only down side to this trip is that Cooper decided that he hated our hotel room. He would fall asleep for about 2 hours but would wake up crying. The next room tapped on our wall so it was a little nerve wracking. So, he slept on my chest both nights to keep from me having to go to the next room for a come to Jesus meeting. Like really, dude, do you think his crying is music to my ears? Really, how do you keep a baby from crying for the entire night? Now, my mommy heart enjoyed our closeness but my back not so much. Homeboy is a good 22 pounds now and having him on your chest for 8+ hours is hard on the whole 32 year old body.

For those familiar with Savannah, could you please tell me when it's not hotter than sin there? Geez!

Cooper laying his claim to Tybee Island

I can't believe I'm putting a pic of me in my bathing suit on here but I love this one of us together

Cooper with his cousins

Cooper flying through the air at Colonial Park Cemetery

I turn my back for a moment and nana gives him licorice...he only got a few licks in before mommy confiscated the contraband, well, I had to get a picture didn't I? ;)

Here kitty, kitty, kitty...

Oh, sweet Delilah is starting to come around to Cooper which is great since she hates kids (thanks to my neice, Abbi!). She'll come and rub her body against his legs when he's in his exersaucer. She lays down with him on his mat. It really is quite cute!

Then there was yesterday.

I guess we should start teaching him how to give kitty a gentle petting and not so much a full scale attack. Luckily, Delilah is a lover and not a fighter :)

Misconceptions

I seem to be facing a popular misconception when it comes to Cooper's developmental delays. I don't mean this to be b*tchy and this isn't directed at anyone that I know in real life as I seem to face this from everyone, even after I've explained to them that Cooper has hypotonia. I had to explain all of this to the cashier at Kro.ger yesterday in response to the question and her following facial remarks in regards to Cooper not crawling yet. I'm not even per se "venting" because that also has a connotation of negativity. I guess I'm just writing this to get it off my mind.

Cooper isn't just be stubborn. He won't crawl, sit-up, or walk whenever he is "ready". He physically can't do these things. He wants to do these things! I see the frustration in his eyes when he's on his tummy and his legs are trying to push him but his arms aren't strong enough to push his body up. I see the frustration in his eyes when we're working on his sitting up but he folds right over because his trunk isn't strong enough to balance. I see his eyes follow the other babies as they crawl across the room. There isn't anything wrong with his drive to be independent!

This also has NOTHING to do with my patience! I'm not in a hurry to have a crawler because of a "ME" thing! I don't want him to sit-up on his own because it's a "ME" thing! I want him to be able to do the same things as the other babies his age not because it's a "ME" thing! I want him to have the same opportunities to play at Kanga.zoom so that he can have fun being a baby not because it's a "ME" thing. So, all the advice of "just be patient" is actually starting to grate my nerves.

Hmmm, okay, maybe this is turning into a vent! Please, understand through my smile when you ask me if my son is crawling yet is a mother that worries constantly about making sure that he has the same opportunities and experiences the same joy as all of the other babies.

I wish I had a crystal ball so that I could just see into the future for just 5 seconds...

Formula Powered!

To new readers: I am very pro-breastfeeding. Please, refer to this post so that you understand that I am 100% breast is best! I have no guilt associated with my son receiving formula as I had no other reasonable option...proceeding with post now...

I found the funniest shirt at Old Na.vy the other day and was propelled to buy it (oh, and the fact that I had a 30% off coupon didn't hurt, either!). It may just be my warped sense of humor but I find this shirt to be a riot! My son also has no reason to feel bad for receiving formula so we're going to kick it, old school like in our formula shirt...hmmm, maybe I'll make a shirt that says "formula isn't rat poison" and wear it on the same day ;) Joking!

Thanks, Bree!

My friend, fellow blogger and baby loss momma, Bree, made this hat for Cooper last year! I'll keep this little hat forever and I can't believe his head used to be this small!

We received this adorable little hat in the mail yesterday from none other than Bree the knitting extraordinaire! As you can see, he looks ADORABLE in it and I know that he will be wearing it a lot come this fall and winter! Thanks, Bree! Cooper loves you (and, you know I do, too!)!